“I”ll always be a Cincinnati Red,” Reds LEGEND Joey Votto shares heartfelt message to fans following his exit from team after 17 seasons

Joey Votto shared a heartfelt message to the fans and the Cincinnati Reds after the team declined to offer him a new contract, thus bringing an end to his 17-year career.

“I”ll always be a Cincinnati Red,” Reds LEGEND Joey Votto shares heartfelt message to fans following his exit from team after 17 seasons

Joey Votto (Pic Credit: AP)

With the MLB 2023 season done, the teams have begun their preparation for the upcoming years. Many players have left their current clubs in pursuit of a new challenge. In a similar setting like this, the Cincinnati Reds recently announced that they have declined a contract for veteran Joey Votto. He has now thanked the team and fans through a heartfelt message.

There comes a time when a player has to move on from their team. This move by the Reds ends a 17-year-long partnership between them and their beloved third baseman Votto. The team announced this decision a few days ago while claiming they are pained to say that he does not feature in their future plans.

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Since then, fans have started to pay their tribute and congratulate him for his services to the Reds. The 40-year-old Candian later took to his X (now called Twitter) account to share his thoughts regarding the team. In the post, he said he was grateful for the organization to give him a chance.

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"I'm so proud to have been able to play for a team, the oldest Major League team... I'm so humbled. I'm so grateful. It couldn't have happened without all of you, without the Cincinnati community. I'll always be a Cincinnati Red".
Joey Votto on X.

Joey Votto: A true legend of the game

The emotions are running high for everyone who is connected with the Cincinnati Reds at the moment. Losing a player of Joey Votto’s caliber, a hard-working, long-serving player is never easy. However, this was gonna come sooner or later with these recent injuries and age playing a key factor in this decision.

Joey Votto
Joey Votto (Pic Credit: AP)

Votto, who joined the team as an 18-year-old teenager, now leaves the team as a club legend. While the team did not win any championships during his time, he achieved several accolades along the way. The year 2010 was said to be the best one for him as he was named the National League MVP.

Apart from that Votto was a six-time All-star while also winning Gold Glove in 2011. He would end his career with the Reds with a batting average of .294. He would record 2,195 hits while slamming 356 home runs and collecting 1,144 RBIs on the way. All of this makes him a worthy candidate for the Hall of Fame.

What is next in store for him from here on, is the tricky question in the minds of many. Given his age, which team would offer him a contract for the next year remains to be seen.

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