MLB Rumors: Brewers-Braves blockbuster, Joey Votto Reds return, Yamamoto-Mets
- Joey Votto not ready to retire after Reds' disappointing finish
- Could the Braves and Brewers strike up a trade centered on Willy Adames?
- Mets expected to be highest bidder for Yoshinobu Yamamoto
MLB Rumors: Joey Votto rejects retirement, willing to leave Reds
The Cincinnati Reds finished the season 82-80, painfully close to postseason contention but still on the outskirts. There's plenty to get excited about with the future of the franchise, but there's also the immediate fate of franchise legend Joey Votto to consider.
Votto, 40, has spent his entire 17-year career with the Reds. A former MVP with six All-Stars and a Gold Glove on his resume, few players in Cincinnati history live up to Votto's list of accomplishments. There has been rampant retirement speculation around Votto, who appeared in 65 games for the Reds with .202/.314/.443 splits, 14 home runs, and 38 RBIs. He posted a -0.1 WAR and was generally ineffective for a team on the precipice of contention.
Injuries have been central to the narrative around Votto in recent years, as has age. He's not ready to hang up the cleats, though, and he's even willing to leave Cincinnati to play one more season with the goal of finishing on a high note.
"I want to play again at least one more year,” Votto told longtime sports analyst Dan Patrick. "The last couple years were crummy. I wasn’t healthy for two years, so I’d like to play well. It’s not the taste I want to leave in my mouth."
Joey Votto says he wants to play "at least one more year", whether that be with the Reds or another MLB team.
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) October 6, 2023
"The last couple years were crumby. I wasn't healthy for 2 years, so I'd like to play well. It's not the taste I want to leave in my mouth."@JoeyVotto #Reds #MLB pic.twitter.com/FCJeFAEj7v
The Reds have a $20 million club option for Votto next season. He's not sure if the franchise will exercise it, which could lead to his first genuine free-agent experience. He's prepared to find another team, but it's clear he would prefer to return to Cincinnati for a proper swan song.
It would be exceedingly strange to see Votto in different colors. Here's to hoping the Reds can work it out with a franchise pillar.