Votto’s 17-year career with Reds likely coming to end
Joey Votto’s $20-million option for next year was declined Saturday by the Reds, making the first baseman a free agent and likely ending his career with Cincinnati after 17 seasons.
Votto will get a $7-million buyout, completing a contract that guaranteed $251.5 million over 12 seasons.
“We’re not closing the door on anything,” general manager Nick Krall said. “I just think with the players we have on our roster right now, there’s no playing time. We’ve got to figure out how to get playing time for some of these players.”
Cincinnati also declined a $4-million option with catcher Curt Casali, who gets a $750,000 buyout.
Krall said he discussed the decision on Votto with chief executive Bon Castellini and it was not a financial decision. There was no discussion of a new deal.
“We don’t have a spot for him to play right now,” Krall said. “We need to get other players at-bats, so that’s where the decision was.”
Votto, 40, hit .202 with 14 homers and 38 RBIs in 65 games this season. He didn’t play his first game until June 19, 10 months to the day after surgery on his left biceps and rotator cuff.
A six-time All-Star and the 2010 National League most valuable player, Votto has a .294 average with 356 homers and 1,144 RBIs.
The Angels declined a $9million option on infielder Eduardo Escobar and a $7.5-million option on lefthander Aaron Loup, both becoming free agents . ... Among other players who opted out of their contracts: Boston designated hitter Justin Turner ($13.4 million) and right-hander Corey
Kluber ($11 million); Chicago Cubs ace Marcus Stroman ($21 million); Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson ($14 million) and closer Liam Hendriks ($15 million); Miami outfielder
Jorge Soler ($13 million); Toronto second baseman
Whit Merrifield ($18 million); Milwaukee left-hander
Wade Miley ($10 million); and San Diego right-hander
Seth Lugo ($7.5 million) . ... Detroit acquired veteran outfielder Mark Canha from the Brewers for a minor leaguer . ... Texas pitchers
Andrew Heaney ($13 million) and Jose Leclerc ($6 million) exercised options for next season.
ETC. Chargers’ Palmer out for Monday
The Chargers ruled out wide receiver Joshua Palmer for their game Monday night at the New York Jets.
Palmer missed practice all week because of a knee injury he has been battling in recent weeks. That means they’ll be down two of their top three wide receivers with Mike Williams out for the season because of a knee injury that required surgery.
Palmer’s absence should mean increased opportunities for rookie Quentin Johnston, who had career highs of five catches for 50 yards against Chicago last weekend.
— Jeff Miller
Miami activated left tackle Terron Armstead off injured reserve . ... Defensive end Montez Sweat agreed to a four-year, $98-million extension with Chicago, NFL Network reported.
William Byron will start from the pole at Phoenix
Raceway, trying to win his first NASCAR Cup Series championship and give the famed No. 24 Chevrolet its first title since Jeff Gordon in 2001 . ... Formula One champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull won his fourth sprint race this season and will start the Brazilian Grand Prix from pole position . ... Ben Rhodes won his second Truck Series championship and Christian Eckes won a crash-filled finale in four overtimes Friday, surviving a messy affair in which Carson Hocevar cost Corey Heim the championship by wrecking him.
Top-ranked Novak
Djokovic beat Andrey
Rublev, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5 in their semifinal, earning the right to play for a record-extending seventh title at the Paris Masters. Djokovic will face Grigor Dimitrov, who beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-7 (1), 7-6 (3) . ... Jessica Pegula
beat U.S. Open winner Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-1 at the WTA Finals to reach the title match at the season-ending championship for the first time.
Matt Kuchar blew a sixshot lead with a late collapse in the third round of the World Wide Technology Championship, leaving him tied with Camilo Villegas. ... Shiho Kuwaki and Nasa Hataoka each shot sixunder 66 to share a onestoke lead after the third round of the LPGA’s Japan Classic.
Isabeau Levito won the Grand Prix de France, the 16-year-old American figure skater’s first such title. In the men’s competition, American Ilia Malinin could not keep his lead from the short program and finished second behind Adam Siao Him Fa of France, who dominated the free skate.