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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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Joey Votto could be headed back to Cincinnati if the Reds' front office gets its wish.
Reds president Nick Krall told the Cincinnati Enquirer the club has reached out to the future Hall of Famer to gauge interest in returning to the team in a role to be determined.
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"We just want to see if there's anything there that might make sense," Krall told Gordon Wittenmyer, who noted the possibilities for Votto's role are "wide open."
Votto's commitment to the team and the Cincinnati community made him a beloved figure there over his 17 major league seasons. He was a six-time All-Star, one-time Gold Glove award winner, and the 2010 NL MVP. He finished his career with 356 home runs, 1,144 runs batted in, and a career slash line of .294/.409/.511.
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A native of Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada, Votto attempted a comeback with his hometown Toronto Blue Jays in 2024. He played 31 minor league games, including 15 at Triple-A, Votto failed to earn a call-up. The reason, in his words: "I'm just not good anymore."
Votto, who turned 41 in September, announced his retirement as a player in an Instagram post in August.
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"That's it, I'm done," Votto said in the video. "I am officially retired from baseball."
Votto's attitude has always made him a fan favorite, and baseball fans will likely hope he continues his baseball career in some capacity, whether as an analyst or coach. He made sure to thank the fans in his retirement post.
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"You energized me with your cheers, I loved the boos, the trash talk, the moments where I broke a road cities moment, or was humbled on stage," Votto wrote. "I'll never forget, early in my career, my first time at Wrigley Field and the crowd standing and cheering toward my failure. I remember standing at the plate, smiling and thinking, this is my home. I belong here.
"I was myself in this sport. I was able to be my best self. I played this sport with every last ounce of my body, heart, and mind. Thank you for everything."
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Wittenmyer notes that Votto has experience with most of the Reds' current young core of players, who were rookies and second-year players during the team's surprise 2023 run into playoff contention.
"There's a lot of value to a guy that's a Hall of Fame player," Krall said.
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