Cincinnati Reds part ways with longtime first baseman Joey Votto

CINCINNATI — After 17 seasons, Joey Votto is no longer a Cincinnati Red.

The Reds have decided not to extend Votto's contract for another season.

The Reds announced the decision to decline the 2024 club option on social media. At the end of the 2023 season, Votto finished his $251.5 million, 12-year contract.

"For 17 seasons, Joey has been the heart of Reds baseball as a Most Valuable Player, All-Star and respected clubhouse leader," the Reds wrote. "His contributions to our team and his extraordinary generosity toward those in need, throughout our region and beyond, cannot be measured."

Nick Krall, the president of baseball operations for the Reds, went on to call the 40-year-old first baseman "one of the greatest baseball players of this or any generation."

In an interview, Krall double-downed that the financial state of the Reds was not a factor in deciding on Votto's $20 million club option.

Krall said there's simply no place on the Reds' current roster to fit Votto, but he's not closing the door on potentially bring him back with a different contract.

"Not closing the door. Just think with the players on our roster right no, there's no playing time... ," Krall said. "Something could happen, but as of right now, it's not there."

Now that the Reds declined Votto's club option, they owe him a $7 million buyout. If the team would have extended his contract with the club option, Votto would have become the highest paid Reds player by far.

Stunted for some of the season with an injury, Votto's performance was less than stellar, posting a career-low .202 batting average. Despite his poor on-field performance, Votto acted as a clubhouse leader for a very young Reds squad.

In Votto's last game of the 2023 season, he was ejected in the first inning.

During Votto's last home game at Great American Ball Park, he received a standing ovation and applause from the crowd before his first at-bat.

After the season ended, Votto did say on the Dan Patrick show that he would like to play one more year for the Reds. He said if he didn't get that opportunity, he'd explore free agency.

Votto has spent all 17 years of his career with the Reds, winning the National League MVP once during that time, but he has never made it past the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Sunday morning, Votto released a statement about his departure from the Reds.

Votto said he wanted to say thank you and speak out loud his gratitude, calling his time in Cincinnati as "the best stretch of my entire life."

"It's because of the Cincinnati community that I felt welcome," Votto said.

Votto also reflected on his time in Cincinnati, joking that he still never learned how to properly drive Cincinnati's roads.

"I couldn't have loved an experience more," Votto said. "And I'm so proud to have been able to play for a team — the oldest major league team — to play for a team that was just endless gifts coming my way."

"I'll always be a Cincinnati Red," Votto continued. "(The) memories are endless."