Veteran first baseman Joey Votto has officially announced his retirement after a 17-year career in Major League Baseball.
“That’s it, I’m done. I’m officially retired from baseball,” Votto shared Wednesday in a post on Instagram.
Votto, 40, signed a minor-league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays during the offseason after spending his entire career with the Cincinnati Reds. However, an ankle injury sustained during spring training sidelined him for over two months. Votto’s comeback attempt at Triple-A Buffalo saw him struggle, where he recorded a .489 OPS, one home run, and four RBIs across 15 games.
Votto expressed his disappointment in not being able to play for the Blue Jays, saying, “I wanted to play in front of you. I tried with all my heart to play for my people. I’m just not good anymore. Thank you for all the support during my attempt.”
During his time with the Reds, Votto made six All-Star appearances and won a Gold Glove at first base in 2011. His standout season came in 2010 when he was named the National League MVP after hitting 37 home runs, driving in 113 RBIs, and posting a .324 average and a 1.024 OPS over 150 games.
Reflecting on his career with the Reds, Votto said, “Cincinnati, I’ve only played for you. I love you.”
Since his debut in 2007, Votto has been one of the most productive offensive players in the league, ranking second only to Mike Trout in fWAR (58.8) among position players from 2007 to 2023.
Votto concludes his career with a .294/.409/.511 slash line, 356 home runs, 1,171 runs scored, 1,144 RBIs, and 459 doubles over 2,056 games.
