Signing Joey Votto adds intrigue to Blue Jays' bench and DH mix

DUNEDIN, Fla. — There are a few layers to the Joey Votto signing, which should become official once the Etobicoke, Ont., native passes a physical in the coming days.

The narrative — Canadian kid signs with the Toronto Blue Jays team he grew up cheering for — is undeniably a compelling one. Does Votto have one last impact season in him? Could he cap off a Hall of Fame career by helping the Blue Jays in the playoffs? Maybe a big hit in front of a sold out Rogers Centre with the season on the line?

But here on March 8, we’re a long way from any of that. Many questions must be answered first, such as: is he fully healed from the biceps and left rotator cuff surgeries that impacted the start of his 2023 season? Or the shoulder discomfort that slowed him toward the end of last year? With less than three weeks remaining before opening day, will the 40-year-old Votto be ready to hit against the game’s best arms?

Clearly, the Blue Jays believe the answer to those last questions is "yes" — or at least "possibly." Otherwise, they wouldn’t have added to a first base/designated hitter mix that was crowded enough already. Once Votto arrives in Blue Jays camp and the deal becomes official, we’ll soon learn more about just how ready he is.

For now, we can say this: the move adds intrigue to the Blue Jays’ bench and DH mix. Votto has one of the best batting eyes of his generation to go along with 356 career home runs. While injuries limited him to 65 games a year ago, he still hit .202/.314/.433 with 14 home runs and the Reds trusted his glove enough to start him 44 times at first base.

“He's had a tremendous career and has accolades that can go on and on,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “His plate discipline, power, overall reputation as a competitor and what he has brought to teams that has played on.”

There's still some power in Votto's bat, as evidenced by the max exit velocity of 111.2 m.p.h. he reached last year and the 11 per cent barrel rate.

“Incredible player, remarkable career,” Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins said at the 2023 GM Meetings. “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.”

Yet the fit’s at least a little awkward in some ways too. The Blue Jays already have a full-time designated hitter in Justin Turner, and Schneider said Friday afternoon that he doesn’t expect that to change, though the 39-year-old Turner will see time at first and third on occasion.

And then there’s what the deal means for Daniel Vogelbach, another left-handed hitting slugger on a minor-league deal. Both Votto and Vogelbach are bat-first players at this point in their careers and, as reported by Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, both would make exactly $2 million should they make the big-league team.

From the outside looking in, there’s seemingly room for just one of those players, and Schneider conceded that was likely the case as the Blue Jays build out their bench.

“Everything is health dependent when you when you're breaking (camp), but, yeah, most likely,” he said. “Competition is a healthy thing and the guys that have been here have been doing a great job. You see how the roster shakes out when camp breaks and you see where guys are physically."

Presumably, the Blue Jays wouldn’t sign a future Hall of Famer if they didn’t see a real scenario where he makes the big-league team, which suggests Vogelbach’s hold on a roster spot may be weakening despite a strong start that’s seen him homer off Gerrit Cole and left-hander Andrew Chafin.

Of course, further injuries could occur and it’s possible Votto will need more than three weeks of at-bats to get ready for the regular season. So we’ll see. As the saying goes, there’s no such thing as a bad minor-league deal — especially when you’re talking about a former MVP whose understanding of and passion for hitting is exceptional, even in a big-league clubhouse.

Whether it's Votto or Vogelbach, a left-handed bench bat would have real value off the Blue Jays' bench, by pinch-hitting for someone like Santiago Espinal late in a game against a tough right-handed reliever, for instance, or starting at DH against a right-hander with Turner playing the field.

Interestingly, the Blue Jays weren’t alone in pursuing Votto. A source said other contending teams sought out his services before he signed with Toronto, a deal he confirmed on social media Friday afternoon.

Soon the paperwork should be complete and Votto will officially join a team other than the Reds for the first time since Cincinnati drafted him in the second round 22 years ago. And then Votto will have the chance to show his hometown team that he’s more than a feel-good story.