The Brewers have released first baseman Luke Voit, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Voit had been designated for assignment earlier this week.
Voit, 32, has been on a fairly steady downward trajectory in recent years. He led the majors in home runs in 2020, launching 22 of them fo the Yankees in the shortened season. He hit .277/.338/.610 that year for a wRC+ of 153, indicating he was 53% better than league average. However, he made multiple trips to the injured list in 2021 and finished with a diminished line of .239/.328/.437, 112 wRC+.
Since the Yankees had effectively replaced him with Anthony Rizzo, they traded him to the Padres prior to 2022. But after a few months in San Diego, Voit was traded again to Washington, forming part of the Nationals’ return in the Juan Soto trade. Between the two clubs, his batting line fell again last year, ending up at .226/.308/.402, wRC+ of 102. The Nats could have retained him via arbitration but decided to non-tender him instead.
Voit ended up with the Brewers on a minor league deal and opted out late in the spring when he didn’t get a roster spot. But the Brewers circled back and signed him to a one-year, $2MM deal with incentives and a club option. Unfortunately, he hit just .221/.284/.265 through 22 games before landing on the injured list with a neck strain. He began a rehab assignment a couple of weeks ago but the club evidently didn’t want to add him back onto the roster, giving him the DFA treatment earlier this week.
Since Voit is only capable of serving as a first baseman or a designated hitter, his dwindling offense really puts a dent in his appeal. Given his recent struggles and salary commitment, it’s not a surprise that the Brewers didn’t find any club willing to take him on. Since he has over five years of major league service time, he would have been able to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency while retaining that salary, so the club has simply skipped that step and sent him back to the open market.
He will now be free to pursue opportunities with any of the other clubs. The interest will surely be muted based on his recent results, but any club that signs him would only have to pay him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the active roster, with that amount subtracted from what the Brewers are paying.
Luke, who’s your Daddy?
Luke’s father is Lou Voit
So that must be why he goes by Luke? Seems odd to go by Luke when your name is Louis. Wonder what the story is there, grandpas name or something?
Voit has more balls than anyone (great sales)
Or just to avoid confusion with dad.
Anikan Voit?
The sabermetrics check out
I’m surprised nobody picked him up for a pinch hitting bat with power.
I’m surprised he doesn’t have any home runs.
Might be the zero HRs this year.
Because his bat seemingly has lost its “power”
Boston
Guardians?
Lowes?
Watch the Mets cut Vogelbach and replace him with Voit. 😉
I am a “huge” Vogelbach fan, however it seems they both don’t hit lefties w/voits reverse splits
With Cruz tweaking his hamstring and maybe an IL stint, the Padres have a spot open…come back to SD Luke!
No to Padres.
Love the guy, but the list of “remember when they were…” DH guys is getting to long.
Welcome to Allentown Luke.
Chest Moss is Free!
Oil Can, is that you?
Voit “won” the HR title in 2020, what a joke. That entire season & post-season needs to be expunged from the history books.
Or not. Either way.
Get over it.
Guy’s washed up but someone is going to pick him up on a minor contract.
He needs a shipment from his buddy O’Neil
Back to the Yankees?
Rizzo?
Hopefully, Winker is the next one out the door in Milwaukee. Then maybe one or two of “Counsell’s guys.”
Winker makes too much money to be cut. Joey Wiemer needs to be sent down first,
But with Taylor now hurt Joey’s gotta stay for the defense. And it figures with the way this season is going that Ruf leaves a game due to injury the day they officially drop Voit.
I wrote that before news of Taylor’s re-injury came out. I keep thinking “who’s going to be sent down when (insert name here) comes back from injury.” When in reality, if someone gets activated from the IL, they’re just replacing whoever got hurt that day.
Time for Hiura, after they realize that Winker needs to go as well (ZERO HRs between Winker and Voit, though Winker stays afloat due to OBP).
Terrible production from the position when most teams we’ve played have had huge contributions at DH.
Hiura is hurt, not joining any team any time soon.
Another overhyped Yankee who fizzled out like Sanchez, Bird, and Andujar
Good thing the Hanwha Eagles have a roster spot open.
Japan or Korea