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Report: Blue Jays express interest in signing Canadian Joey Votto
As the GM meetings roll along, it sounds like the Blue Jays could be in the market to bring in a hometown hero.
The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly aiming to bring home one of the greatest Canadians to ever pick up a baseball bat this winter.
With free agency opening this week in MLB and the rumour mill chugging along, there is reportedly a strong link between first baseman Joey Votto and the Blue Jays, beyond Toronto being printed on his birth certificate.
The Cincinnati Reds declined Votto's contract option earlier this week, making the longtime star a free agent for the first time in his career and prompting a heartfelt thank you video posted to social media.
While the 40-year-old may no longer be the player he once was while earning MVP awards and leading the league in on-base percentage, he still has at least one admirer in the Blue Jays front office.
“Incredible player, remarkable career,” Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said via Sportsnet. "They're just massive impact in the community if he were to be a Toronto Blue Jay. So definitely something that we would have to consider if that was something he wanted to pursue. … Incredible reputation, really dynamic personality, really bright (person) that I know our team would embrace. But I think that's the case for probably 15 teams.”
Previously a model of consistency, Votto showed some signs of slowing down this season. In a year marred by injuries, the slugger hit just .202 with a .747 OPS, a far cry from just two years prior when he earned MVP votes during a successful 2021 season.
While bringing Votto back home would sell a whole lot of tickets and jerseys, his name isn't the only one linked to the Blue Jays as they hope to improve offensively this winter.
According to reports, Toronto has also expressed interest in acquiring infielder Eugenio Suarez from the Seattle Mariners. The 32-year-old is entering the final year of his contract after smacking 22 home runs and 96 RBI last season, while also leading baseball in strikeouts.
With third baseman Matt Chapman a free agent, Suarez would theoretically replace him on the field and in the lineup if the Jays went ahead and acquired the short-term solution.
