Votto's quiet exit fully on brand

Toronto-born future Hall of Famer announces retirement outside minor-league stadium

- GREGOR CHISHOLM

Joey Votto, one of the best baseball players this country ever produced, has decided to call it a career.

Votto made the unexpected announcement via a short video on Instagram just as his former Cincinnati Reds team was preparing to take on the Blue Jays in a series finale on Wednesday night.

The 40-year-old filmed the video from the parking lot outside Sahlen Field in Buffalo. He was succinct and to the point, opting to avoid the spotlight and fanfare that typically happens when a player of his stature hangs up the cleats.

“That’s it, I’m done,” Votto said in the short clip. “I’m officially retired from baseball.”

Votto played all 17 years of his bigleague career with the Reds. He was interested in returning for an 18th season, but struggled to find any guaranteed deals via free agency and instead later settled for a minor-league deal with his hometown Blue Jays.

The initial expectation was that Votto would compete against Daniel Vogelbach for a spot on the Jays’ roster. He homered off Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler in his spring debut but then rolled his ankle upon returning to the dugout. The injury kept Votto out for the remainder of camp and continued to be a problem when he aggravated the same spot several weeks later.