Joey Votto Jokes About Taking Major Front Office Role With Reds

Votto appeared on MLB Now on Tuesday afternoon.

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto (19) takes the field for the top of the eighth inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the San Diego Padres at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, July 1, 2021. The Reds won 5-4 on a walk-off single, with the bases loaded, off the bat of Tyler Stephenson. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Cincinnati Reds have not won a postseason game since 2012. They have not won a postseason series since 1995. And it appears both streaks will continue through 2026, as the Reds currently sit at 60-65 and 6 1/2 games back of the third and final National League Wild Card spot.

With another failure of a season, fans are starting to get impatient and calling for changes in the front office.

A Surprise Front Office Member in the Future?

Former Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

After being hired by NBC Sports in the offseason, Reds legend Joey Votto has been making more and more media appearances to talk about a variety of topics.

On Tuesday afternoon, he appeared on MLB Now and said something that has gotten Reds fans fired up.

When he was asked about former players taking roles in front offices around the league, Votto had an interesting response.

"Yeah, if they want to give me the Reds job, I'll take it," Votto said with a smirk. "Yeah, just give me the GM (job), I will take it."

While this would certainly be exciting and a change most fans would fully embrace, Votto's quirky personality often makes it hard to tell if he was joking or not, but in this case, it's almost certain that he was being sarcastic.

The Risk of Putting a Franchise Legend in Charge

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto (19) knocks down a groundzall in the sixth inning of an MLB baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Thursday, July 4, 2019, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

There’s always a risk when a franchise legend moves into the front office. Fans may initially give them more patience because of what they accomplished as a player, but that goodwill can disappear quickly when the team struggles. Derek Jeter’s tenure running the Marlins is a good example of how a Hall of Fame playing career doesn’t guarantee success as an executive. Buster Posey now faces a similar challenge with the Giants, the organization where he became an icon.

Front-office decisions are judged on results, and eventually fans stop seeing the beloved former player and start seeing the person responsible for the roster. If things go poorly, it can put an unfortunate ending on an otherwise incredible relationship between a franchise and one of its greatest players.

Reds fans are just looking for anything to be excited about and Votto gave them just that on Tuesday afternoon.

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