For the 2024 season, the Toronto Blue Jays ought to sign a former MVP.
For the 2024 season, baseball has already started to develop a number of interesting storylines. Among the ones I would like to see occur? Joey Votto to the Toronto Blue Jays.
In 2024, Andrew McCutchen will make his way back to Pittsburgh and hit his 300th home run of his career. That will be amazing.
It will be amazing to watch Shohei Ohtani play in his first game at Dodger Stadium.
For the 2024 baseball season, amazing scripts are already being written, but there is one that hasn’t been written yet that I’d really like to see: Joey Votto committing to the Blue Jays of Toronto.
Votto is currently a free agent after the Cincinnati Reds rejected his $20 million option. A Reds reunion would be very appealing, but it doesn’t seem likely because Cincy is sticking with a youth movement for position players.
Toronto is now the next-best plot point. Votto is a native of Ontario, Canada, so this would allow him to perform in front of his hometown supporters.
But the Blue Jays could really use a left-handed bat in the lineup, so it’s not just a great story. With Vlad Guerrero Jr., George Springer, and Bo Bichette, Toronto has a very right-handed leaning group. Brandon Belt and Kevin Kiermaier were cut from the team last season, so Votto could help rebalance the starting lineup.
Votto is one of the more accomplished players of the past 20 years, with a lifetime batting average of.294. He has 356 career home runs and a lifetime on-base percentage of.409. Along with his flawless resume, the slugger has won an MVP award, a Gold Glove, and six All-Star appearances.
In seven different seasons, he has been the league leader in on-base percentage. With the Reds, he played for 17 years.
Despite his injuries, he managed to hit.202 last season. Sadly, this only allowed him to amass 208 at-bats.
This offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays are a surprising favorite to sign MLB star Shohei Ohtani.
Since moving to America in 2018, Ohtani has established himself as one of baseball’s top players. He has played for the Los Angeles Angels his whole MLB career.
However, the 29-year-old Ohtani’s arrival has prevented the team from making the playoffs, and since he isn’t currently bound, now might be the perfect time for him to relocate to Canada, according to the New York Post.
Ohtani is anticipated to ask for the biggest contract in MLB history because he is regarded as the biggest free agent in the history of the league.
Mike Trout, a fellow Angel, inked a 12-year, $426.5 million contract in 2019 that added two years and a significant salary boost to his existing agreement.
Last offseason, New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge signed a nine-year, $360 million contract, the largest free-agent deal in league history, with New York keeping the power hitter.
It’s also thought that the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Angels have a significant stake in the Ohtani contest.
The World Series champion and the Texas Rangers, the Angels’ American League West rivals, have reportedly shifted their attention to other players in recent days, so more teams may surface as the process progresses.
In 2023, the Blue Jays were a Wild Card team after finishing the regular season 89-73. Their season ended when the Minnesota Twins swept them in two games.
Ohtani’s versatility as a pitcher and hitter has helped him win two of the last three American League MVP Awards.
Despite having elbow surgery in September, Ohtani’s value did not decline, and he isn’t anticipated to return to the mound until the 2025 season begins.
