The Nationals are planning to non-tender first baseman Luke Voit and right-hander Erick Fedde, according to Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post.
Voit, 32 in February, has been on quite the roller coaster over the past few years. Drafted and developed by the Cardinals, he went to the Yankees in a deadline deal in 2018 with Giovanny Gallegos and Chasen Shreve going the other way. There was a period where that seemed like a steal for the Yankees, as Voit hit 14 home runs in just 39 games after the deal in 2018. He followed that up with a generally solid 2019 campaign that saw him hit 21 long balls and slash .263/.378/.464 for a wRC+ of 126. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he somehow hit more home runs than the year prior, getting to 22, the most of anyone in the majors that year.
In 2021, however, he dealt with knee injuries for much of the campaign and only got into 68 contests. The club acquired Anthony Rizzo at the deadline to take over first base duties and then traded Voit to the Padres in the offseason. With San Diego, he posted a serviceable line of .225/.317/.416 for a wRC+ of 110, above league average but below his previous production. As the trade deadline neared, the Friars reportedly agreed to include Eric Hosmer in the trade that was to send Juan Soto and Josh Bell to San Diego. However, Hosmer used his limited no-trade clause to block the deal and the Padres sent Voit to Washington instead. After the deal, he hit .228/.295/.381 for a wRC+ of 90.
Voit initially qualified for arbitration as a Super Two player after 2020, meaning he was set to go through the process for a third time this winter. Because of his tremendous power, he earned a $4.7MM salary in 2021 and $5.25MM in 2022. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected a raise to $8.2MM next year, but it appears the Nats aren’t willing to meet that price.
Voit will now become a free agent, joining a first base free agent market topped by names like Jose Abreu, Josh Bell, Trey Mancini and Yuli Gurriel. Given his tremendous power, Voit will surely garner some level of interest. But he’s a one-dimensional contributor, having never been considered a strong defender or a burner on the basepaths.
As for Fedde, 30 in February, he was a first-round draft choice of the club back in 2014. He appeared on Baseball America’s Top 100 list in three straight years beginning in 2015. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to deliver on that hype so far, posting a 5.41 ERA in 454 1/3 innings since debuting in 2017. His 48.9% ground ball rate in that time is fairly strong, but his 17.5% strikeout rate and 9.5% walk rate are both subpar. He qualified for arbitration the first time a year ago and got a pay bump to $2.15MM. He was projected to get up to $3.6MM for next year but it seems the Nats will move on after he posted a 5.81 ERA here in 2022. He’ll head to the open market and see if another team wants to take a shot on him based on his former prospect pedigree.
Voit’s bat plays, but not at the expected price.
He’ll have a job quickly.
Who gets picked up first, Voit or Bell?
Probably Voit just because the price tag will be smaller and there will probably be more suitors. I could see the Royals being a nice landing spot for him.
Heck, put a Mario mustache and he could be the new Bye Bye Balboni.
Bell is a higher-dollar pick, so @hiflew could be correct that Voit goes first. On the flip side, teams may wait on Voit as a fall-back choice is they don’t. get one of the other choices. So…I don’t know!
Nah, it’s been bad (for a bat only player) for a while now. He’s looking at a minor league contract.
Hadn’t followed him this year, but I do see that last season he posted a 106 OPS+ with 22 HRs. Above average hitter every year he’s played, even if his 2022 was below 1B/DH average. Players like that don’t start the following year in AAA, especially now since he’s non-tendered and his salary can be negotiated without arbitration. Thirty teams now have a DH spot. He’ll be employed.
Padres should get Myers and Voit on speakerphone together and say first one to take one year four million contract gets it.
Hell yeah brother we totally live in a capitalist hellhole lets make everything worse for the workers across the board and always side with the worthless billionaire team owners thats whats up man, we rock so hard dude!!
I like you man. You’re crazy, but I like you.
Agricultural workers, garment workers, waiters, nursing assistants, I get it. But hardball negotiations with lackluster first basemen, nah
Let’s face it Myers is worth 4 million. The same with Voit
I’d add Bellinger to the list with Myers and Voit – unfortunately, Gallo will be there too.
For a team that needs both a DH and 1b there are 4 guys to pitch that 1/5 mil prove it contract to and see who takes it first.
People like you amaze me. Yeah let’s blow up the whole system and penalize people that work hard, go to college for years, have million dollar invention ideas. Pretty much anyone that has made a success out of their life. Yeah it’s totally not cool that they work hard for their money and it should all be taken away. Let’s give it all to the people that decided high school was too hard and quit because they had a rockin good job at the corner store. I am barely middle class. Drowning in student loans and other debt but even I am rich by the standards of the poor. Might as well take away the few things I have managed to get in my life. There are people out there with less, give it to them!! We live in a great country. Both the UK and US give everyone the opportunity to make something of themselves. Not sure why you think it’s fair to take away from people that work hard so they can have an easy life and hopefully their kids can too. Communism has been proven a failure because there will always be greed. It’s human nature to want more. It’s BS to fault someone for succeeding.
Hmmmm. Rays need LH power but replace him at 1B for loss of Choi or will Paredes/Lowe fill that role? Always liked Voit.
God I wish the A’s had the nuts to get Voit and let him mash at 1B/DH all season.
George Costanza bought John Voights car once.
If Nelson Cruz could make a career out of DH’ing I think Voit can too.
It’s funny, teams take chances on hurt pitchers and hope they’ll bounce back. How is Voit that much riskier than a guy with shoulder issues? At an expected arbitration salary of $8.2M he’s not cheap but plug him into DH with a sprinkle of first base and you’ll probably end up with 30 HR at the end of the year.
I get the Nats have A LOT of dead money on their roster with Corbin and Strasburg but keep Voit, let him produce and then trade him.
While the power is there, they know Voit’s ceiling and it isn’t in Nelson Cruz’territory. Rolling the dice on an un-established player is the right call for the Nats’ current situation.
bell and abreau are one dimensional
Wait. What?
Voit could sign as soon as tonight with the Guardians
Was about to post the exact same thing. They need a RH 1B/DH with his kinda pop, and his price tag would be right up their alley.
Voit feels like a player the Rays would sign
Off to Asia for Fedde
Voit to H town
jeff – Hartford Yard Goats?
Yeah, I could see that.
Voit to MIL to DH, Fedde to CIN.
Someone will pick up Voit asap. I think for potentially a 2-3 year deal with an option.
Something like 2 years/$14M guarantee and up to 4 years/$36M (2 years/$12M w/ a $2M buyout on a pair of $12M options or something like that)
I’m a little surprised that Voit was projected to earn that match from arbitration. At that $8 million price, the Nats are better off without him. I also support cutting bait with Fedde.
Voit just looks like a Brewer
Voit should play in Japan. He will be a star there
Mets as a dh? Better than vogelbach
Ever since his short season explosion in 2020, Voit has been awful. A .765, followed by a .710 OPS the last two seasons? He’s expected to go from $5.25M to $8.2M…why??? You blow for two years and the arbitration system says you deserve a 60% increase??
As a Nationals fan, I fully support the decision on Voit and Fedde.
Nationals are not very good anymore at developing talent. System is broken.