Blue Jays fans need to forget Joey Votto dreams for good

Many Blue Jays fans have dreamed that some day Joey Votto would join Canada’s team. After his comments on Tuesday, those dreams should be put to bed for good.

I just wrote an article earlier today about how Blue Jays fans need to get over the whole Noah Syndergaard trade once and for all, and now I’m writing a second piece asking you all to forget something else too. This time it’s Canadian-born Joey Votto, and the dream that one day he’ll play for the Blue Jays before his career is out.

As one of the best Canadians to ever play in the big leagues, the idea of bringing Votto to Toronto was something that you’d see circle social media discussions at least once or twice a year. Toronto has enjoyed Canucks like Russell Martin, John Axford, Brett Lawrie, Cory Koskie, Paul Quantrill, Dalton Pompey and more, but never someone on the level that Votto has produced through his career with the Cincinnati Reds.

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Votto may have just thrown a bucket of water on those dreams however, as his interview with Yahoo Sports on Tuesday was anything but an expression of interest in pursuing such a thing. He wasn’t even asked about the Blue Jays directly, but in this case I don’t think the interviewer needed to be that specific to find the answer.

The 34 year old didn’t exactly hold back on anything he was asked about. He didn’t spare his team, or his home country, giving frank and honest answers, and even admitting that he may not be so popular afterward.

Not only did he make it clear that “Team Canada” doesn’t exactly hold a special place in his heart, he went as far as to make sure we knew that James Paxton‘s no-hitter in Canada last week wasn’t all that important to him either, at least no more than any other big performance at the highest level.

"“As far as Toronto, and Canadian baseball, and the country of Canada, and (Paxton) being Canadian, I don’t care at all. “(Paxton), or the Jays, or Canada, in general, may disagree with that, but I really couldn’t give a rat’s ass about that.”"

Well then.

"“I don’t care almost at all about Canadian baseball. I wasn’t raised inside of Canadian baseball really. I’m coming up on half of my life being in the United States working and being supported by American baseball.”"

I see.

https://twitter.com/MLByahoosports/status/996391420733739008

To be honest, I can see how constantly being asked about being Canadian and why he didn’t want to participate in everything with the National program would get annoying. However, I’m not sure expressing his exactly thoughts in this way was necessary, or at all flattering. I’m usually all for athletes being brutally honest, and I’m okay with what he said about the Reds’ struggles this season, but why make such direct, negative statements, especially when asked about the Paxton no-hitter?

The only reason I draw this back to the Blue Jays again is because within my own circle of friends the topic has come up within the last week with regards to trading for Votto. That actually happening remains as far-fetched as it’s always been, but I think his comments on Tuesday should put the idea to bed altogether. Not that we need someone to proudly wave a Canadian flag in order to bring them to the Blue Jays, but is there a point in dreaming on a Canadian baseball hero who doesn’t see the value in playing his home games in Canada?

For now and next season, assuming his cheap contract option is exercised, Justin Smoak will be the Blue Jays regular first baseman anyway. Votto has an annual salary of 25 million through 2023, with a 20 million dollar club option for 2024. Smoak on the other hand has a 4.125 million dollar salary this year, and a club option for six million in 2019. I’m not suggesting for one moment that Smoak is in the same league as Votto, but I know which contract I prefer.

And now that I know where Votto places Canada on his baseball priority list, I don’t see this one ever happening, and that’s more than fine by me. I hope you’ll join me in officially moving on from this for good, and I’ll try to be more positive tomorrow.

Next: Which "dead contract" has gotta go?