C. notes: Is this Joey Vottos last stand?

Publish date: 2024-06-25

CINCINNATI — What’s next for Joey Votto?

It’s the question that’s been asked so many times in so many ways this year, but after Sunday’s home finale — possibly Votto’s last game at Great American Ball Park in a Cincinnati Reds uniform — it was once again the natural question.

Does he want to continue playing?

“I certainly want to continue to play,” Votto said after the Reds’ 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. “I love to play.”

The Reds have five games remaining, and Votto, 40, has five games remaining under his guaranteed contract. The Reds have an option for Votto’s contract for 2024, but at $20 million, it doesn’t seem to be something they would exercise, instead giving him a $7 million buyout of the final year. But there are other ways he could return — to the game or the Reds.

So the follow-up question, more precisely, was whether he would like to play beyond this season.

“If you’re asking me the hypothetical where, if you’re asking the last day of the season, whenever that happens, I’d like to just stop for a second and just stop and then go from there,” Votto said. “I don’t like not being a productive player. I don’t like it. And I don’t know where the (shoulder) surgery ends and my performance begins. It’s very muddy. I can’t tell. I don’t know if I can work it, if I can work myself into a performer or if I’ve been coming back from an injury.

“I think it’s that. I think I can work it. But every single day I have the opportunity to test that sort of hypothesis. And I have to come out on top to be able to continue to up my confidence. I hate the idea of falling flat on my face. And more importantly, I hate the idea of putting my teammates, the manager, the management, everyone in a position where they’re like, ‘Uh, that’s enough’ sort of thing. …

“I have my moments where it’s like, ‘You know what? … I just want to continue to work and see where it takes me.’”

It’s been a difficult season for Votto, who had shoulder surgery last August and had hoped to be ready for Opening Day. He instead started the season in Triple-A Louisville and, after struggling, shut down his comeback to do more work. He restarted and returned to the big leagues June 19; he had two hits and a home run in his first game back.

He’s had an up-and-down year and had another injured list stint in late August and early September. Once again, in his first game back — on his 40th birthday, no less — he hit another home run. It’s his last of the year. In this second stint off the IL, he’s 8-for-35 (.229) with just two extra-base hits. But he had a big pinch-hit single Saturday, then singled again Sunday in his final at-bat after striking out in his first two at-bats.

Joey Votto gets a curtain call after his single in the eighth inning at Great American Ball Park.

He left the game and was replaced with a pinch-runner. pic.twitter.com/CPCVnbM076

— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) September 24, 2023

“It’s just such a great experience being a Major League Baseball player, being able to compete, test yourself on a daily basis — something new every single day — and then be able to work it behind the scenes to try to get better,” Votto said. “It’s such a fun experience, and that joy of those peaks, the winning peaks, the shared teammate peaks. I look back on the 2010 division championship, and I watched it the other day and the moment of sharing it as a collective. Those are what you play for, you know, those big moments. Now, TJ (Friedl) is on the side here waiting for me as I drag this on. But you know, these are moments that, you know, TJ had a fantastic game today. These are the highs that we chase.

“How can I perform well? But how can I help the team? The two of them merging together is as good as it gets. This is what we’ve been trying to do since we were boys. It’s constant. That chase is constant. But back to your original question, I don’t know. I’m going to just keep playing and then stop and then we’ll see.”

The decision about Votto returning to the Reds in 2024 will ultimately be up to three people: Votto, Reds CEO Bob Castellini and general manager Nick Krall, in that order.

His teammates? They don’t get a vote, but it would likely be a landslide if a vote were taken.

“He’s not done,” Reds second baseman Jonathan India said. “I hope he’s in a Reds uniform next year.”

Like most of us, India can’t picture Votto in any other uniform than the one he has worn for 2,053 regular-season games — the uniform that has seen him collect 2,135 hits, 1,362 walks, 356 home runs and 1,144 RBIs.

“He’s a Red as long as I know,” India said. “I hope everyone sees it.”

The 31,191 people who came to Great American Ball Park on Sunday probably feel the same way. Votto’s every move was cheered.

When he came to the plate in the bottom of the second inning with The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black,” the walk-up song he used for much of his career, playing, he stepped into the box as the crowd roared. He looked back at umpire Mark Wegner, who stepped out from behind the plate and called time, allowing Votto to step out of the box and acknowledge the fans’ standing ovation.

Number 19, Joey Votto ❤️ pic.twitter.com/aYAQx86dly

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 24, 2023

Votto raised his helmet and looked around the crowd, then tried to get back to work. The crowd still cheered, and he took his helmet off again and acknowledged the fans once more. As the cheers continued, he mouthed, “I’ve got to go hit” and went back to work.

Votto watched strike three and was even cheered as he walked back to the dugout. He struck out swinging to end the fourth inning, as well. Votto came up again in the sixth and was hit in the elbow, causing yet another cheer, as the Reds had just rallied to tie the score and he represented a continuation of the inning.

In the eighth, Votto came up once again, this time with the Reds leading 4-2. He lined Andre Jackson’s second pitch up the middle for a single, his 1,027th hit at Great American Ball Park. As Votto stood on first, Reds manager David Bell sent a pinch runner, Stuart Fairchild, to run for him, and he made his way through high fives in the dugout, only to hear the crowd still cheering for him. He came out for his curtain call.

After Ian Gibaut recorded the save, Votto was interviewed on the field, with his words on the loudspeaker for everyone to hear.

Later, speaking about the first at-bat but also maybe the day as a whole, Votto said he was “speechless,” then went on to articulate his feelings as only he could.

“It’s funny. It ended up going a little bit longer than I’m used to, and that was great. Thank you. Again, I’m speechless,” Votto said. “But I know so many people in the crowd. So many people. I mean, I’ve crossed paths with maybe a majority of the crowd, whether through our fan fest, signing autographs, seeing them in the stands, seeing them on the streets. I’m in this community in lots of different ways, so I’m familiar with a lot of people in the stands. There was a moment where I said, ‘I’ve got to go hit.’ And because I have that relationship with so many people that come to the game that were in all likelihood at today’s game, it was my way of being playful like, ‘Thank you.’

“I hope they took it that way because I could have soaked that in forever. It was an honor of all honors. I’m, again, humbled. Humbled. I don’t expect that. There’s a part of you that thinks, ‘You know, I’ve played a long time. Maybe.’ But you have to move forward and move on to the next thing and what’s next. And sometimes you get stopped in your tracks. … And that’s our fans. That’s baseball’s fans and that’s the Reds fans, saying, ‘Hey, we want to say something to you.’ And I very nearly cried. I was so focused on competing that I wasn’t quite there emotionally. But because it took so long, I almost got there. So it was a spectacular moment for me. It was as special as it gets.”

A 20-20 season?

TJ Friedl has homered in three straight games, including an inside-the-park homer Saturday. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)

Sure, Ronald Acuña Jr. became just the fifth player in baseball history to have a season of at least 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases and is closing in on a 40-70 season, but he has only one career bunt hit and none this season. Friedl has an outside chance at a 20-20 season, as he hit his 17th home run of the season Sunday, matching his 17 bunt base hits this year.

FanGraphs only has batted-ball data tracking bunt hits back to 2002, so it’s probably impossible to know if Friedl would be the first 20-20 player in baseball history. It wasn’t the easiest way to go about it, but digging through the FanGraphs data, it appears Corey Patterson has come the closest, hitting 24 homers with 17 bunt hits with the Chicago Cubs in 2004 and notching 16 homers and 21 bunt hits in 2006 while playing for the Baltimore Orioles.

Friedl also has 26 stolen bases, meaning he could have a 20-20-20 season. Patterson stole 32 bases in 2004 and 45 in 2006.

Friedl’s 17 bunt hits are the most by a Reds player since Norris Hopper had 18 in 2007. Billy Hamilton had 17 bunt hits in 2014.

Before Saturday’s game, Friedl said he could see getting to 20 bunt hits before 20 home runs, but he has homered in three straight games, including the tying home run in the sixth inning Sunday and an inside-the-park home run Saturday.

“I was actually going to bunt on the pitch before (the home run),” Friedl said. “But I was seeing the ball well, so I thought I’d take a swing.”

Trade deadline revisited

Yes, a starter would’ve been really nice for the Reds at the trade deadline. It’s a point that’s been hammered home since Aug. 1. The one thing about that argument? Who would’ve been worth the cost of an acquisition?

That list wasn’t exactly long then, and it’s less so now. Here’s a look back at the starters who were traded at the deadline, from best performances to worst:

• Jordan Montgomery (St. Louis Cardinals to Texas Rangers): The left-hander is 4-2 with a 2.92 ERA in 10 starts with the Rangers, including seven scoreless innings against the Seattle Mariners in a pivotal game Saturday.

Jordan Montgomery, 2Ks in the 4th. pic.twitter.com/xIrq9Hdj6u

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 24, 2023

• Justin Verlander (New York Mets to Houston Astros): Verlander is 5-3 with a 3.93 ERA since going back to Houston.

• Max Scherzer (Mets to Rangers): Scherzer left his Sept. 12 start with a right triceps spasm and will not return in the regular season. He was 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA in eight starts before the injury.

• Lance Lynn (Chicago White Sox to Los Angeles Dodgers): Heading into his start Sunday, the 36-year-old was 6-2 with a 4.67 ERA for the Dodgers in nine starts, down from his 6.47 ERA in 21 starts with the White Sox. He led the majors with 42 homers allowed, including 14 with the Dodgers.

• Lucas Giolito (White Sox to Los Angeles Angels to Cleveland Guardians): Giolito went 1-5 with a 6.89 ERA in six starts for the Angels. He was placed on waivers at the end of August and was claimed by the Guardians. In Cleveland, he’s 1-3 with a 5.64 ERA in four starts. He’s scheduled to start for the Guardians on Tuesday against the Reds opposite Hunter Greene.

• Michael Lorenzen (Detroit Tigers to Philadelphia Phillies): The former Reds pitcher threw a no-hitter in his second start for his new team, but since then he’s 2-4 with a 9.23 ERA. Overall, he’s 4-2 with a 6.02 ERA in eight appearances and seven starts for the Phillies. He was moved from the rotation to the bullpen last week.

• Jack Flaherty (Cardinals to Orioles): Flaherty is 1-3 with a 6.68 ERA in eight appearances and seven starts for his new team. He was moved from the rotation to the bullpen last week.

• Rich Hill (Pirates to San Diego Padres): The 43-year-old is 0-4 with a 9.25 ERA in five starts and eight total appearances for the Padres. Hill went on waivers this month and went unclaimed.

• Noah Syndergaard (Dodgers to Guardians): The former Mets ace made six starts in Cleveland, going 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA and was designated for assignment Aug. 27 and released three days later.

The week that was

I started my career at the Athens (Ga.) Banner-Herald, and there were many legendary stories about the late Lewis Grizzard, who started his writing career while at the University of Georgia and went on to work in Athens before becoming a legendary figure as a columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

My favorite is a column he wrote from the 1984 Georgia-Georgia Tech game. The hated Yellow Jackets upset UGA in Athens, breaking a streak of 998 days in which the Gnats didn’t beat the good guys in any sport. Anyway, Grizzard was a noted lover of his alma mater, and it came through in his writing. His column was always a must-read but especially from big UGA games. So, under his column mug shot and the headline “Grizzard’s report from the Tech-Georgia game” was simply this: “ATHENS — Frankly, I don’t want to talk about it.” That was followed by inches of empty space.

RT @JenBrettAJC: The great @ajc columnist Lewis Grizzard filed column from heaven after yesterday's #GTvsUGA game. pic.twitter.com/wO5daVp7gK

— UGA Libraries (@ugalibs) November 30, 2014

It’s still the greatest column ever written. It invoked all the feelings UGA fans felt and would feel after losing to Tech in anything — and it did it in the fewest words possible.

That’s a long way of saying: Reds fans know what happened this week and probably don’t want to talk about it.

The week ahead

So, yeah, two games in Cleveland and three in St. Louis. The Ohio Cup is still up for grabs with a pair of wins against the Guardians, so there’s that. And then the Reds will get a front-row seat to the Adam Wainwright send-off. The Reds are 1-1 against the Guardians this year and 5-5 against the Cardinals.

“We’re going to fight until the very last out, very last pitch because that’s all we know,” Friedl said.

Injury updates

• IF Matt McLain (right oblique strain) is expected to rejoin the Reds for Tuesday’s game in Cleveland. McLain played at Triple-A Louisville on Saturday and Sunday, going 1-for-6 with a single and a walk. He played shortstop Saturday and second base Sunday.

• RHP Tejay Antone (right elbow discomfort) isn’t expected back this season. The good news is that it is tendonitis in his twice-repaired elbow, not a structural issue.

• OF Harrison Bader (right groin strain) will have season-ending surgery. Bader is a free agent after the season.

Minor-league report

• Triple-A Louisville (75-73) — The Bats held on for a victory in the resumed game from Saturday night to secure a .500 season, then beat the Iowa Cubs 8-4 in the second game to secure the team’s first winning record since 2011.

• Double-A Chattanooga (70-67) — The Lookouts dropped the first two games of the best-of-three Southern League North Division Championship Series, ending their season.

• High-A Dayton — SS Edwin Arroyo was named the top MLB prospect in the Midwest League. Arroyo hit .248/.231/.427 with 26 doubles, 10 triples and 13 home runs in 534 plate appearances with the Dragons. He finished the season with six games in Chattanooga. Right-handed starter Julian Aguilar was named an All-Star. Aguilar, 22, was 4-1 with a 1.92 ERA in 14 starts for the Dragons and 4-4 with a 4.28 ERA in 11 starts for Chattanooga.

• Low-A Daytona — 3B Sal Stewart, OF Hector Rodriguez and utility player Carlos Jorge were named Florida State League All-Stars. Stewart hit .269/.395/.424 in 88 games with Daytona, hitting 10 home runs and stealing 10 bases. He also walked more times (66) than he struck out (59). Rodriguez hit .293/.347/.510 with 16 home runs and 18 stolen bases in 101 games with Daytona before being promoted to Dayton. Jorge hit .295/.400/.483 with nine home runs and 31 steals in 86 games for the Tortugas and played second base and center field.

• Arizona Fall League — The rosters for this year’s Arizona Fall League were announced this week, with the league beginning next Monday. RHP Carson Spiers, who made three appearances for the Reds, is one of five Reds pitchers who are on the Surprise Saguaros, along with Bryce Hubbart, Zach Maxwell, Andrew Moore and Jayvien Sandridge. Catcher Michael Trautwein, infielder Austin Callahan and outfielder Jacob Hurtubise are also on the roster.

(Top photo: Andy Lyons / Getty Images)

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