Blue Jays' Schneider says Votto invite isn't about a feel-good story

The Toronto Blue Jays didn’t bring in Joey Votto for the storyline.

Votto had been hoping to return to the MLB for an 18th season but had failed to receive any offers. That changed yesterday when it was announced that the 40-year-old had joined the Blue Jays for spring training as a non-roster invite.

Fans have envisioned Votto playing with the Blue Jays for years, as he was born and raised in Toronto. While his prime years were spent with the Cincinnati Reds, he has a chance to play with his hometown team, should he impress. Despite all the publicity Votto’s return received, manager John Schneider wanted to make it clear that this was a baseball move.

“It’s a cool story, but it’s not like, ‘Hey Joey, come up to Canada and retire,'” Schneider said. “There’s some real baseball stuff here, too. It’ll be cool to talk for a day or two about Joey in Toronto, but the baseball part is what we’re looking at.”

Votto, who is a six-time All-Star and won the NL MVP in 2010, appeared in 65 games with the Reds last season, batting .202 with 14 homeruns and 38 RBIs. The Blue Jays are hoping that an opportunity to play in Toronto can help give him a late career resurgence.

The Blue Jays could certainly benefit from having Votto if he is able to turn back the clock. They have been heavily criticized for making very few changes to their roster heading into the 2024 season and are being given just a 47.1% chance to make the playoffs, according to FanGraphs odds.

The Blue Jays have several spring training camps remaining on their schedule before beginning their season on the road versus the Tampa Bay Rays on March 28. Their home opener will come on April 8 against the Seattle Mariners.

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