\n\n”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:”https://twitter.com”,”thumbnail_url”:null,”type”:”oembed”,”width”:550,”contentType “:”rich”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”The former National League MVP and six-time All-Star who has a chance to make the Hall of Fame when his playing days are over, spent his entire career with the Reds, who drafted him out of Richview Collegiate Institute in Etobicoke, Ont., in 2002. That’s where Votto grew up, just west of downtown Toronto, and now he’ll have a chance to extend his career with Canada’s team .\n\nIt was unclear whether Votto would sign a deal this offseason, and earlier this week the part-time comedian posted an image of himself on social media with the caption “missing ball.”\n\nThe photo was a nod to the viral an image of Keanu Reeves, who grew up in Toronto, only in a near-perfect recreation of Votto, a baseball bat leaning against the bench as he looks down at the ground, forlorn.”,”type”:”text”}, {“__typename” :”OEmbed”,”html”:”“,”providerName”:”MLB”,”providerUrl”:null,”thumbnail_url”:null,”type”:”oembed”,”width”:425,”contentType”:”rich”},{“__typename”: “Markdown”,”content”:”Below the Instagram post, Blue Jays legend Jose Bautista left a comment:\n\n”Hometown team?””,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:” OEmbed “,”html”:”
\n”,”providerName”:”Instagram”,”providerUrl”:”https://www.instagram.com/”,”thumbnail_url”:”https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.29350- 15/431499537_1161126365269350_3367742026615983691_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_s640x640_sh0.08&_nc_ht=scontent.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=106&_nc_ohc=25e25fg ZjLIAX_6dz2 E&edm=AMO9-JQAAAAA&ccb=7-5&oh=00_AfDK5l-dRlmUmTaEZIM8xE–qe0LrPC-djt8qbYJDcfsNQ&oe=65EBCC2A&_nc_sid=cc8940″,”type” : “oembed”,”width”:658,”contentType”:”rich”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”Well, Votto is back and the Blue Jays suddenly have their feel-good story on the camp. What a Canadian moment for him too, grabbing headlines on NHL trade deadline day, an unofficial holiday for some people north of the border.\n\nVoto wants this to be more than a feel-good story. Appearing recently via zoom on an ESPN broadcast of a spring training game between the Braves and Red Sox, Votto made it clear he still has a burning desire to play, romanticizing the summer days ahead.\n\n“I’ll do it no matter what it’s necessary to get back on the Premier League pitch,” he said. “I just miss it. This is the best game.””,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”Video”,”contentDate”:”2024-03-08T18:57:18.118Z”,”preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({\ “preferredPlaybacks \”:\”mp4AvcPlayback\”})”:”https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2024/2024-03/08/064036f2-ed4b7289-88a1e37b-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K .mp4 “,”type”:”video”,”description”:”Blue Jays broadcast discusses Joey Votto’s signing with Toronto, which includes non-roster invite to spring training”,”displayAsVideoGif”:false,”duration”: ” 00:00:26″,”slug”:”blue-jays-broadcast-talks-joey-votto-s-signing”,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”GameTag”},{“__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-141″,”title”:”Toronto Blue Jays”,”team”:{“__ref”:”Team:141″},”type”:”team”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”vod”,”title”:”vod”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”highlight”,”title”:”highlight”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”in-game-highlight”,”title”:”in-game highlight”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”game-action-tracking”,”title”:”game action tracking”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”spring-training”,”title”:”Spring Training”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”grapefruit-league”,”title”:”Grapefruit League”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”transactions”,”title”:”transactions”,”type”:”taxonomy”}],”thumbnail”:{“__typename”:”Miniimage”,”templateUrl”:”https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/mlb/r82jw7nzrgmnqk2eakk2″},”title” :”Blue Jays Broadcast Talks About Joey Votto’s Signing”,”relativeSiteUrl”:”/video/blue-jays-broadcast-talks-joey-votto-s-signing”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content “: “Votto is a Canadian baseball icon and one of the best hitters of his generation, owning a career .294 average with a remarkable .409 on-base percentage. Now 40, Votto is coming off a couple of injury-delayed down years.\n\nIn 156 total games, Votto hit just .204 with a .712 OPS, but he continued to play the field at first base and feels that still have a little left in the tank.\n\nWhen news of the Votto signing broke Friday at TD Ballpark, 39-year-old Justin Turner stood at first base. That position obviously belongs to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but Votto will join the depth competition that includes Daniel Vogelbach and Spencer Horwitz, ranked as Toronto’s No. 16 prospect by MLB Pipeline.\n\nOn March 8, Votto doesn’t have much time to step up and live in spring training, but a veteran of 2,056 major league games should be able to adjust faster than your average non-roster signing. Just what Votto has been doing to practice in his own time will also factor into what we should have a clearer picture of when he reports in the coming days.\n\nThere are still many hurdles to overcome. , before Votto took the field with the Blue Jays just miles from where he grew up. But for now, the Blue Jays just brought in one of the most decorated players in the sport for what could be one last success, and there’s no more compelling story in camp right now.”,”type”:”text”} ],”relativeSiteUrl”:”/news/joey-votto-blue-jays-minors-deal”,”contentType”:”news”,”subHeadline”:null,”summary”:”DUNEDIN, FLA. — Joey Votto is coming home.\nOne of the greatest Canadian players in baseball history has signed a non-roster contract with the Blue Jays, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. Votto will join the club at its spring facility to pursue his 18th MLB season.\nThe club has”,”tagline({\”formatString\”:\”none\”})”:null,”tags “:[{“__typename”:”InternalTag”,”slug”:”storytype-article”,”title”:”Article”,”type”:”article”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-458015″,”title”:”Joey Votto”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:458015″},”type”:”player”},{“__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-141″,”title”:”Toronto Blue Jays”,”team”:{“__ref”:”Team:141″},”type”:”team”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”rumors”,”title”:”rumors”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”apple-news”,”title”:”Apple News”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”ContributorTag”,”slug”:”keegan-matheson”,”title”:”Keegan Matheson”,”type”:”contributor”},{“__typename”:”GameTag”,”slug”:”gamepk-748060″,”title”:”2024/03/08 NYY@TOR”,”type”:”game”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”spring-training”,”title”:”Spring Training”,”type”:”taxonomy”}],”type”:”story”,”thumbnail”:”https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/mlb/bnuotf9ih6c6phqfzk5m”,”title”:”Joey Votto agrees yes Blue Jays non-roster invite deal (source)”}},”Person:458015″:{“__typename”:”Person”,”id”:458015},”Team:141″:{“__typename”:” Team “,”id”:141}}} window.adobeAnalytics = {“reportingSuiteId”:”mlbglobal08,mlbcom08″,”linkInternalFilters”:”mlb”} window.globalState = {“tracking_title”:”Major League Baseball”,” lang “:”en”} window.appId = ” /*–>*/
43 minutes ago
One of the greatest Canadian players in baseball history has signed a non-roster contract with the Blue Jays, a source told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Votto will join the club in its spring facility to pursue his 18th MLB season.
The club has not confirmed the deal, which would pay Votto $2 million if he is in the major leagues, according to a source, with another $2 million in incentives.
The former National League MVP and six-time All-Star, who has a chance to enter the Hall of Fame after his playing days are over, has spent his entire career with the Reds, who drafted him out of Richview College in Etobicoke, Ont. , in 2002. It’s where Votto grew up, just west of downtown Toronto, and now he’ll have a chance to continue his career with Team Canada.
It wasn’t clear whether Votto would make a deal this offseason, and earlier this week the part-time comedian posted a photo of himself on social media with the caption “missing ball.”
The photo was a nod to the viral image of Keanu Reeves growing up in Toronto, only in a near-perfect recreation of Votto, a baseball bat propped against the bench as he stared down at the ground, forlorn.
Below the Instagram post, Blue Jays legend Jose Bautista commented:
Well, Votto is back and the Blue Jays suddenly have their feel-good camp story. What a Canadian moment for him too, grabbing headlines on NHL trade deadline day, an unofficial holiday for some north of the border.
However, Votto wants this to be more than a feel-good story. Appearing recently via zoom on an ESPN broadcast of a spring training game between the Braves and Red Sox, Votto made it clear he still has a burning desire to play, romanticizing the summer days ahead.
“I will do whatever it takes to get back on the Premier League pitch,” he said. “I just miss it. This is the best game.”
Votto is a Canadian baseball icon and one of the best hitters of his generation, owning a career .294 average with a remarkable .409 on-base percentage. Now 40, Votto is coming off a couple of down years that were slowed by injuries.
In 156 total games, Votto hit just .204 with a .712 OPS, but he continued to play the field at first base and feels like he still has a little left in the tank.
When the news of Votto’s signing broke Friday at TD Ballpark, Justin Turner, 39, was standing at first base. That position obviously belongs to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but Votto will join deep competition that includes Daniel Vogelbach and Spencer Horwitz, ranked as Toronto’s No. 16 prospect by MLB Pipeline.
There isn’t much time for Votto to step up and hit the ground running in Spring Training on March 8, but the 2,056-game veteran should be able to adapt faster than your average outfield signing. Exactly what Votto does to practice on his own time will also factor into what we should have a clearer picture of when he reports in the coming days.
There are still many hurdles to overcome before Votto takes the field with the Blue Jays just miles from where he grew up. But for now, the Blue Jays just brought in one of the most decorated players in the sport for what could be one last breakout, and there’s no story in camp more fascinating than this one.
