Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays Slugger Joey Votto Announces Retirement From MLB

Joey Votto, a six-time All-Star with the Cincinnati Reds, has decided to retire after failing to break onto the Toronto Blue Jays' big league roster.

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto (19) is recognized by the crowd before his final at-bat of the season in the second inning of a baseball game between the Colorado Rockies and the Cincinnati Reds, Monday, June 19, 2023, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. / Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Joey Votto's time with the Cincinnati Reds came to an end last fall, but he wasn't done playing ball just yet.

The 40-year-old first baseman signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in February and, after working his way through some injuries, found himself on the precipice of playing for his hometown team. Votto got held up in Triple-A, though, and the Blue Jays did not call him up for this week's series against the Reds.

In the wake of that decision, Votto announced his retirement on Wednesday.

"That's it, I'm done," Votto said in a video he posted to Instagram. "I am officially retired from baseball."

Votto also wrote a note thanking his friends, family, coaches, teammates, the Reds and the Blue Jays for all the support he got over the years.

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A post shared by Joey Votto (@joeyvotto)

In 31 minor league appearances this season, Votto was batting .165 with two home runs, 12 RBI and a .569 OPS. He had 36 strikeouts compared to 16 walks, which was out of character for a slugger who recorded more walks than strikeouts in four separate big league campaigns.

And since the Blue Jays never called him up, Votto has still only ever played for one MLB club.

Votto made his big league debut in 2007, five years after the Reds selected him in the second round of the 2002 MLB Draft. He remained in the lineup through the 2023 season, racking up 2,135 hits, 356 home runs, 1,144 RBI and a 64.4 WAR along the way. The six-time All-Star and former NL MVP boasts a .294 batting average and .920 OPS for his career.

With those numbers, Votto could very well earn a spot in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in five years' time. At the very least, he established himself as one of the best players in Reds history.

Votto ranks first in walks, second in home runs, second in doubles, third in RBI, fourth in runs, fourth in WAR, fifth in hits and sixth in games played on the Reds' all-time leaderboards. Even though Cincinnati's front office didn't pick up Votto's $20 million club option for 2024, he still largely lived up to the 10-year, $225 million contract he inked with the team back in 2010.

Before he called it quits, Votto ranked second in games played, second in doubles, third in RBI, fourth in hits, fourth in home runs, sixth in batting average and sixth in WAR among active players.

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