Joey Votto’s wait to play baseball area once more is over as he agreed to a non-roster invite with the Toronto Blue Jays, based on ESPN’s Buster Olney.
The deal, pending a bodily, contains a $2 million base wage if Votto makes the staff and $2 million extra in incentives, per Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi.
Votto, a Toronto native, had been with out a staff after the Cincinnati Reds declined his membership choice for 2024, making the 17-year veteran a free agent.
“I’m excited concerning the alternative to work my means again to the Main Leagues,” Votto posted on X Friday afternoon. “It’s even sweeter to try this whereas sporting the uniform of my hometown staff, the Toronto Blue Jays.”
The 40-year-old Votto repeatedly talked about through the offseason how he wasn’t able to retire and wished to proceed enjoying, even when a return to the Reds was not within the playing cards. As lately as Thursday, when he was interviewed throughout ESPN’s broadcast of the Boston Crimson Sox-Atlanta Braves recreation, he mentioned he was nonetheless getting ready as if he would play once more.
“I’ll do no matter it takes to get again on a serious league area,” Votto mentioned through MLB.com. “I simply miss it. It’s the most effective recreation.
“Because the climate turns and the times get longer and folks get excited to be outdoors. , now we have a recreation that’s outdoors, it’s a celebration, it’s sunny, inexperienced grass. It’s like a giant barbecue, and I simply miss it. I miss it a lot.”
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Whereas he has waited for his cellphone to ring, Votto stored busy outdoors of coaching. In February he went on a mascot scavenger hunt throughout NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto. Earlier this week he bought into the meme recreation recreating the “Unhappy Keanu” photograph from 2010.
Votto performed solely 65 video games final season, posting a .202 batting common with 14 residence runs and 38 RBI. He missed the beginning of the season resulting from a shoulder harm that required surgical procedure and stored him out for 10 weeks.
Given this chance along with his hometown staff, Votto will get an opportunity to increase his baseball profession and exit on his personal phrases.
“Once more, the sport will let me know if I am achieved,” Votto instructed the Flippin’ Bats podcast this week. “And I can inform you proper now, I’ll thank my fortunate stars after I’m achieved. I shall be grateful; I have been so fortunate to have gotten so far, however I want the sport to inform me I am achieved. I want a wholesome model of me to compete, fail, adios, type of factor.”