Joey Votto says 'it's a priority' to remain with Reds as he nears end of contract

Joey Votto, speaking to reporters for the first time after he had surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder and a torn left bicep, isn’t motivated to prove anybody wrong after the worst offensive season of his career.

He is confident he can still play at a high level and that’s motivation enough while he’s nearing the end of his career.

“I’d like to have a strong finish to my career and be proud,” Votto said. “That’s part of the reason why I wanted to perform well through the end of this year because of the poor start and I just felt hampered. I was never able to get over the hump. I’m hopeful that this is the case. If it’s not the case, then at some point, you have to walk away, but I think it is.”

Chuckie Robinson:Reds catcher part of a small fraternity of MLB hitters

Hunter Greene:Pitcher scheduled to begin rehab assignment, could rejoin Reds in two weeks

The big question that will hover over Votto next season is whether it will be his last in a Reds uniform.

Votto is entering the last guaranteed year of his 10-year, $225 million contract. He’s owed $25 million in 2023 and there is a $20 million club option for 2024 with a $7 million buyout.

“Of course, I want to start my career and finish my career in the same uniform. That’s a priority for me,” Votto said. “I only have so many years left – one, two, who knows how many I have left? I’d like to finish it in the same uniform. I think the pride part of me wants to tell a story. It’s hard to tell a story if you confuse the story, especially if the ending is confusing. I want to finish my career well and hopefully the team plays well, and I get to be part of a championship. That’s a little less in my control, but we’ll see how that goes.”

The timeline for Votto’s recovery after surgery is six months, which lines up around the start of spring training in February 2023. He knows he needs to play better to be an everyday starter at first base and hits in the middle of the Cincinnati Reds lineup.

If all went well next season with a strong offensive performance, Votto says he may look to continue his career past 2023. He’s not interested in a platoon or bench role, but he’s still a guy who hit 36 homers last year with 99 RBI.

“I’m addicted to performing and that has never changed,” Votto said. “If I perform well, I will, in all likelihood, want to continue to play. I don’t like performing poorly. I don’t like embarrassing myself. I don’t like being a drag. I feel good. I’ve said that all year. I feel energized. I feel good. I feel healthy. It just didn’t make sense how I performed this year.”

This season was the worst offensive production in Votto’s 16-year career. He finished with a .205 batting average and .319 on-base percentage, both nearly 100 points below his career averages. He had 11 homers, 18 doubles and 41 RBI in 91 games.

Everyone is suspicious that Votto’s injuries were the main factor in his offensive struggles. Votto says his struggles against right-handed pitching, his biggest strength throughout his career, “did not compute” with him.

He still felt real guilt, he says, over missing the final six weeks of the season and emphasized the Reds’ place in the standings had no connection to the timing of the surgery. Multiple doctors advised it and his performance dictated it when he went hitless in his final 22 at-bats, a career-long hitless streak.

“If I play like this, I’m not going to be able to play anymore,” said Votto, who had a .298 on-base percentage against righties this year. “There’s no question about that. This performance level is unsustainable. No one wants to give a Major League roster spot to a player that performs like this. That’s clear. I’d become a bench player. I’d become a backup. I’d become a platoon player. As I sit here right now, I don’t view myself in that role.”

Many of Votto’s teammates and coaches were stunned he played as long as he did through his injuries – he said he had trouble sleeping since early July – but he downplayed that.

“I didn’t perform, so I don’t get a pat on the back,” Votto said. “I wish I had performed because if I had performed, I wouldn’t have had the surgery. I would have kept playing with it. But no, I need to perform. ‘Way to go. Way to play terrible.’”

Votto realized the severity of his shoulder injury when he returned to the lineup in New York after missing seven games with back tightness. He did pregame sprints and he felt pain in his elbow, arm and hand. The hand, he said, became a real issue for the last six weeks he played.

Sure, it was painful, but Votto he never wants to allow anything to distract him from his performance.

“I can’t stand making excuses or even talking about this,” Votto said, “but I do think there may have been a connection between my performance and my injury, but maybe not. Honestly, maybe not. We’ll find out. That’s something I’m very much looking forward to. I’m excited about that challenge.”

From talking to the medical staff, Votto says he may begin swinging a bat in January, but probably won’t be able to take many aggressive swings until the start of spring training.

It’s possible he may not be ready for Opening Day next season, he acknowledged, but his primary goal is making sure he’s playing back to his usual standards.

“All I’ve ever wanted to do was play every inning of every game possible,” Votto said. “That’s been my life. I’ve never had an injury and a rehab process like this. We’ll see how long it takes. You can’t cut corners.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Joey Votto's future with the Reds? He says staying is a 'priority'