Joey Vottowho had a minor league contract with the Blue Jays, announced on Instagram that he has retired. The 2010 NL MVP didn't reach the majors with his hometown team but played an impressive 17-year career with the Reds.
Votto gave a lengthy statement alongside a short video of himself from Sahlen Field, the home of the Jays' Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo. Votto thanked his family, teammates and coaches, and fans. He expressed regret that he couldn't make it to the big leagues with the Jays, adding that he's “not good anymore” before thanking Canadian fans for supporting him and expressing his love for Cincinnati. “I was in this game too. I was able to be my best self. I played this game with all my body, heart, and mind. Thank you for everything,” he concluded.
The Reds drafted Votto out of Toronto's prep school in 2002. He was ranked as one of Baseball America's top 50 players by the time he reached Triple-A five years later. Votto was first drafted in September of '07. He hit a home run in 24 games and would break out as their everyday first baseman the following year.
Votto hit .297/.368/.506 with 24 homers and 32 doubles in his first full season. He finished second in the Cub Hunter Geovany Soto in Rookie of the Year voting. Votto emerged as an elite hitter in year two, hitting .322/.414/.567 with 25 long balls and 38 doubles. He finished in the top 10 among professional hitters in all three slash statistics.
That started nearly a decade ago when Votto was one of the best players in the game. He had arguably his best season in 2010. Votto led the majors with a .424 on-base percentage and topped the National League with a .600 slugging mark. He hit .324 with 37 homers and a career-best 113 runs batted in. It was a commanding performance in counting and calculating alike that earned him a convincing victory. Albert Pujols again Carlos González in the NL MVP voting. Votto was a key player on a Cincinnati team that won 91 games and the NL Central title.
It was the first of four straight seasons in which Votto topped the NL in on-base percentage. He led the league in walks every year from 2011-13. His uncharacteristically patient approach has at times earned him criticism from some fans who preferred him to be more aggressive, but Votto also filled the role of the prototypical run producer. He ranked 20th in the majors from 2010-13 in RBI and 21st in homers. Among hitters with 1500+ plate appearances, only Miguel Cabrera again Joe Mauer hit to get a better rate. Votto led the majors in OBP and ranked seventh in slugging. Votto made the All-Star Game in all four seasons and three times finished in the top 10 in MVP voting. Cincinnati made the playoffs in three of those years, though they never advanced to the Division Series.
In the middle of that run, the Reds committed to Votto as the face of their franchise. They signed him to a 10-year, $225MM extension at the start of the 2012 season. It remains the largest investment in the organization's history. While the team hasn't had a ton of success this decade, that's not the fault of their first baseman. Votto is always hitting until the end of the contract.
Four injuries ended much of Votto's 2014 campaign. He returned at full strength the following year, hitting .314/.459/.541 to finish third for MVP. Votto would lead the NL in on-base percentage in each of the three seasons thereafter, earning more than 10 MVP nominations in the process. From 2015-18, he hit .312/.442/.525 with 106 homers while walking more than he struck out.
More to come.
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