- The 40-year-old first baseman became a free agent at the end of his contract last fall
- He announced his retirement in a short clip he posted to social media on Wednesday
Former NL MVP and six-time All-Star Joey Votto announced his retirement from baseball on Wednesday.
The Toronto-born Votto signed a minor league contract with his hometown team in March and, after a lengthy absence with an ankle injury, played for Triple-A Buffalo. He went 6 for 42 with one home run and four RBI in 15 games, striking out 22 batters.
The 40-year-old first baseman became a free agent last fall at the end of a $251.5 million, 12-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds, his only team in 17 major league seasons. Cincinnati declined Votto’s $20 million option for 2024.
“That’s it, I’m done. I’m officially retired from baseball,” Votto told fans in a short clip from outside Sahlen Field, home of the Buffalo Bisons, the Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate.
“Thank you to my parents, Wendy and Joe, for giving me everything I needed to pursue my dream of becoming a professional baseball player,” he added in a statement accompanying the caption.
Former NL MVP and six-time All-Star Joey Votto announced his retirement from baseball
Toronto-born Votto signed a minor league contract with his hometown team in March
‘Thanks to my brother, Tyler Votto, for throwing me wiffle balls all these years (ha ha, you’re the best. I had to write this.)’
“The community of Etobicoke for supporting me as a youth player,” he continued. “Oakville, Queensway, Kingsway, Bloordale, Thunderbirds and Bob Smyth and the Etobicoke Rangers for raising me as a youth baseball player. Mark Capone is STILL better.
‘As a pro, Leon Roberts and Freddie Benavides were my boys. They made me who I was as a pro player. Thanks to them!
‘As a player in the highest league, Dusty Baker and Scott Rolen taught me how to be a real professional.’
The Blue Jays hosted the Reds on Wednesday in the final game of a three-game series.
Votto, the 2010 NL MVP and 2011 Gold Glove winner, hit .294 with 356 home runs and 1,144 RBI in 2,056 games.
A shoulder injury limited Votto to 65 games in 2023. He didn’t play his first game until June 19, exactly 10 months after undergoing surgery on his left biceps and rotator cuff.
Votto hit a home run off Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler in his lone at-bat of spring training for Toronto on March 17. Later in that game, he stepped on a bat in the dugout and was sidelined for the next three months.