Former Padres Slugger Continuing Career in Japan

A former San Diego Padres slugger signed a contract with a professional Japanese baseball team, continuing his playing career overseas.

Luke Voit, a first baseman and designated hitter, has been playing baseball in Mexico. He hit 23 home runs with Tabasco and 12 with Quintana Roo over the past two seasons south of the American border.

After succeeding in Mexico, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball signed Voit on Sunday.

Voit was traded to the Padres in 2022 from the New York Yankees. In his sole season with the Padres, Voit hit .225/.317/.416 with 13 home runs in 82 games.

He didn't finish the season with the Padres. He ended up getting traded to the Washington Nationals in the Juan Soto trade.

Joining the New York Yankees from the St. Louis Cardinals, Voit hit 14 home runs in 39 games during the 2018 season, giving the Yankees an instant lift on offense.

In 2019, he hit more than 20 home runs, just like he did during the pandemic-shorted 2020 season when he led the league with 22 home runs in 56 games.

Voit finished ninth in MVP voting for the 2020 season, though his career would take a nosedive in the following years.

After playing for the Nationals, he ended up with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023, which would be his last season in MLB.

The New York Mets gave Voit a couple of minor league deals, but they never panned out for the 34-year-old.

Now in Japan, the slugger gets another chance to impress in a different league. If he has success again, the 34-year-old could get another shot with an MLB team.

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