Toronto Blue Jays Sign Longtime Cincinnati Reds Slugger, Canada Native Joey Votto

Following a storied 17-year stint with the Cincinnati Reds, first baseman Joey Votto is returning to Canada to join his hometown Toronto Blue Jays on a minor league deal.

The Toronto Blue Jays have signed first baseman Joey Votto to a minor league contract with a non-roster invite to Spring Training, ESPN's Buster Olney was first to report Friday.

This will mark the first time Votto has been part of an organization other than the Cincinnati Reds, who selected him in the second round of the 2002 MLB Draft. Votto played 17 seasons in Cincinnati, earning countless spots in the franchise's all-time record books.

The 40-year-old slugger had been publicly begging for a contract from any MLB team over the past few months – going viral with his dry sense of humor on multiple occasions – after the Reds declined his $20 million club option last fall.

Votto is no stranger to the Blue Jays, considering he was born and raised in Toronto. He has represented Canada in the World Baseball Classic as well, so Votto is due for quite the homecoming welcome should he make their Opening Day roster.

I am excited about the opportunity to work my way back to the Major Leagues. It’s even sweeter to attempt this while wearing the uniform of my hometown team, the Toronto Blue Jays. https://t.co/s7xEFLKe8V

— Joey Votto (@JoeyVotto) March 8, 2024

From the time he made his major league debut in 2007 through the 2023 season, Votto has racked up 2,135 hits, 356 home runs, 1,144 RBI and a 64.4 WAR. The six-time All-Star and former NL MVP is a .294 hitter in his career.

Votto hit .202 with 14 home runs, 38 RBI, a .747 OPS and a -0.1 WAR in 65 games last year.

Coming off the 10-year, $225 million contract he had with the Reds, Votto was unlikely to hold out for a massive payday heading into 2024. It remains to be seen if he is actually willing to stick it out in the minor leagues, though, or if he will these next few weeks of Spring Training are an all-or-nothing affair. 

Votto currently ranks second all-time among Canadian-born players in career hits, per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, trailing Hall of Famer Larry Walker by just 25. Should he carve out a role in Toronto, he might just be able to break the record while representing Canada's lone MLB club.

The Blue Jays have three-time All-Star Vladimir Guerrero locked in at first base, and he has only missed nine games in the last four seasons combined. Toronto also signed Justin Turner to serve as their designated hitter, paying the 39-year-old $13 million to fill that hole.

Turner is a right-handed hitter, though, while Votto is a lefty, adding to his potential value in Toronto's lineup.

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