Joey Votto’s last hope before signing Blue Jays deal will baffle Reds fans

Joey Votto signed a minor-league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays last week, ending his extended, and sometimes unbecoming stretch on the free agent market.

Votto's incessant social media posts and constant groveling on podcasts and radio shows showed a different side of the six-time All-Star. Votto wasn't receiving any offers on the open market and was desperate to get back to playing baseball. Votto will now have that chance after securing a non-roster deal with his boyhood team.

Votto had maintained for quite some time that he wanted to finish his career having only played for the Cincinnati Reds. Votto had that chance, and he chose not to.

Joey Votto’s last hope before signing Blue Jays deal will baffle Reds fans

Don't misunderstand. If Votto feels that he still has something left in the tank and wants to go out and prove to all the doubters that he can still bang, he now has a chance to do so while playing for the Blue Jays organization.

Votto told The Athletic (subscription required) that he wanted to sign a similar non-roster deal with the Reds to finish his career in one uniform. Sorry to break this to all the Reds fans that wanted to see Votto return to Cincinnati for an 18th season, but that was never going to happen.

Had Votto inked a minor-league deal with Cincinnati, do you really think he would have started the season at Triple-A? If the Reds signed Votto to a minor-league deal, they would have forced themselves into a corner. No matter if Votto hit .400 or .140 in spring ball, he'd have been on the Reds Opening Day roster manning first base when the Washington Nationals came to town on March 28th.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand would be in different role if the Reds re-signed Joey Votto

Is that really what you want, Reds fans? Do you want to see Christian Encarnacion-Strand on the bench and Stuart Fairchild designated for assignment just so Votto can receive a standing ovation on last time?

Though Votto didn't receive the goodbye tour that some feel he should have, his last game in front of the home crowd at Great American Ball Park was a memorable one. Votto's last game in a Reds uniform, however, was a less than desirable outcome when he was ejected for arguing with an umpire on the road in St. Louis.

The Reds were right to decline Votto's $20 million club-option and made the correct decision not to bring the veteran back on a minor-league deal. Votto will one day be back on the field at GABP when he's inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame and has his No. 19 jersey retired.

But until then, it's time for the Reds fanbase to move on and embrace a new brand of baseball that will hopefully lead to an NL Central Division championship in 2024.

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