Reds great Joey Votto announces retirement after 17 MLB seasons: 'That's it. I'm done.'

Joey Votto, who spent all 17 seasons of his MLB career with the Cincinnati Reds, is retiring from baseball.

"That's it. I'm done. I'm officially retired from baseball," Votto announced in an Instagram video on Wednesday.

Although his retirement announcement was brief, Votto accompanied his video with a lengthy caption expressing gratitude to the game of baseball and everyone that contributed to his 17-year career in Cincinnati: "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."

Votto, who turns 41 on Sept. 10, added: "Cincinnati, I’ve only played for you. I love you."

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Votto gave a special shout out to his family, friends, former teammates and managers, including Dusty Baker, who served as the Reds manager from 2008–2013, and former Reds third baseman Scott Rolen (2009–2012). Votto said Baker and Rolen "taught me how to be a pro’s pro."

Votto was drafted out of high school by the Reds with the 44th overall selection of the 2002 MLB draft. He made his major league debut on Sept. 4, 2007 against the New York Mets, where he hit a home run in his second major league at-bat. (He struck out in his first.) During his 17-year career with the Reds, Votto had a .294 batting average, with 356 homers, 1,144 RBIs and a .409 on-base percentage across 2,056 games. He was named the NL MVP in 2010, picked up Gold Glove honors in 2011 and earned six MLB All-Star nods, most recently in 2018.

"To the MLB fans. You energized me with your cheers, I loved the boos, the trash talk, the moments where I broke a road (city's) 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."

Following an injury-riddled 2023 season, Votto became a free agent for the first time since he signed a 10-year, $225 million extension with the Reds in 2012. The Toronto native signed a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays in March, in hopes of working his way back to the majors. But he ultimately decided to call it a career.

"Toronto + Canada, I wanted to play in front of you. Sigh, I tried with all my heart to play for my people. I’m just not good anymore," Votto wrote. "Thank you for all the support during my attempt."

MLB paid tribute to Votto on X (formerly Twitter), writing, ".@JoeyVotto was one of a kind. Congratulations on an amazing career, Joey." The Reds, added, "We love you too, Joey."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joey Votto retirement announcement: Reds great calls it a career