CINCINNATI — Joey Votto told Dan Patrick on the Dan Patrick Show Friday morning that he would like to play one more year for the Reds, and that if he doesn't, he would be a free agent next year.
Votto also said he wants to be Taylor Swift's "backup boyfriend" to Travis Kelce.
Patrick asked Votto about his possible retirement, and Votto said despite considering that he may have played his last game in a Reds uniform, he would like to come back for one more year in Cincinnati. If not, Votto said he would explore free agency.
"I want to play again," Votto said. "At least one more year."
Votto's contract has a club option for next year, valued at $20 million, meaning the decision is out of his hands as to whether or not he returns to Great American Ball Park. If the team elects not to bring the 40-year-old back, they owe him a buyout of $7 million. If the team decided to extend him, he would be the highest paid player on the Reds by far. There's also the possibility the Reds re-work his deal for a smaller amount, since they already owe him at least $7 million for the buyout. His performance this season coming off of injury was less than stellar, posting a career-low .202 batting average.
The Reds legend has spent all 17 years of his career with the Reds, winning the National League MVP once during that time, but he has never made it past the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
The conversation with Dan Patrick took a left turn when Votto remarked about what he thought the conversation was going to be about:
"I thought we were gonna talk about Taylor Swift - I'm single," said Votto.
Votto went on to remark about the attention on Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce's rumored relationship, saying not that he was trying to disrupt the romance, but that he wanted to be the "backup boyfriend."
On the topic, Patrick asked Votto about when the last time was that he had cried. Votto said when he was thinking about his possible last game as a Cincinnati Red, he played the song "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac "15 times in a row," and that he was "bawling thinking about the end" of his tenure with the Reds.
"This is what we send to Taylor Swift," Patrick said.
Votto was ejected in his last game for arguing umpire strike calls in St. Louis in just the first inning. It's unclear when the Reds will decide on whether or not to pick up Votto's club option for next year. This year, despite his poor on-field performance, he acted as a clubhouse booster for a very young Reds squad.
And as far as money goes: Because the Reds have the smallest payroll they've had since 2015, the $20 million sounds like a lot for a guy batting just above .200, but the value Votto can provide in the clubhouse may very well be worth it as the veteran presence on a youthful squad.
Correction: An earlier version of this story erroneously reported the salary amount for Votto's club option.
