Yesterday, possibly the greatest position player in Tampa Bay Rays history announced his retirement from the game.
Third basemen Evan Longoria – who was with the franchise from when the then-Devil Rays drafted him back in 2006 through until his trade to the San Francisco Giants in December 2017 – called time on his 16-season Major League career. And to commemorate both his career as a whole and his vital role in the rebirth of their franchise, the Rays will sign Longoria to a ceremonial one-day contract on 7th June, to enable Longoria to essentially retire as a Ray, a franchise that he never chose to leave.
This gesture, though, begs the question – why do the Cincinnati Reds not do the same with Joey Votto?
21 Seasons – And Possibly One Day
With the sole exception of a brief minor league stint with the Toronto Blue Jays organisation that history will not remember, Votto was baseball’s ultimate “one-club man”. From the day he was drafted out of high school in the second round with the 44th pick of the 2002 MLB Draft, all the way through to the day they declined his $20 million team option in November 2023, he was nothing other than a Cincinnati Red. Indeed, he was the Cincinnati Red.
Votto’s option was declined because his performance had declined even further. Over the previous two seasons, hampered by a shoulder injury that greatly inhibited his bat speed, the storied slugger was limited to just 154 games and 618 plate appearances, yielding only 25 home runs and a .203 batting average.
His legacy and loyalty notwithstanding, recording two seasons of negative Wins Above Replacement just prior to his 40th birthday left the team unable to justify the $20 million price tag. Votto therefore left the only franchise he had ever known that winter, and three months later joined on with the Blue Jays, for whom he played only 31 minor league games before retiring in August 2024.
Votto Retired, But Not As a Red
On account of not having already officially called it quits, Longoria’s return to the Rays will serve as a retirement ceremony of sorts. With Votto having announced his retirement last summer, doing so via an Instagram video in which he unequivocally stated “Cincinnati, I’ve only played for you […]. I love you”, perhaps less closure is required. For all intents and purpose, Votto was never not a Red.
That said, while he may have already retired, he has not done so as a Red. He has not done so at the Great American Ball Park, in the red of the uniform that bore his name for so long, and in the #19 jersey that will undoubtedly soon hang from the rafters in his honour.
Votto left the Reds holding the franchise record in walks (1,365), while also ranking second in home runs (356) and on-base percentage (.409), third in RBIs (1,144) fifth in hits (2,135) and sixth in games played (2,056). It was a possible Hall of Fame-level career, and it all took place in Cincy.
For a career of that calibre, a simple social media post feels underwhelming. A one-day contract to bookend the legacy, a la the Rays and Longoria, would add consistency to the story of a player who for so long defined that particular quality on the field.
If that is how the low-key Votto wants it to stay, so be it. But the offer should be extended nonetheless. Or, alternatively, given the Reds’ profound struggles for production from the first base spot right now, perhaps Votto could sign for the remainder of the season instead.
Reds Should Sign Joey Votto to a 1-Day Contract