3 surprising Blue Jays that will make the 2024 Opening Day roster, and 2 that won’t

Joey Votto

How about that Canadian legend Joey Votto? What appeared to be a presumptive long-shot for the Jays to recruit throughout the offseason apparently changed gears quickly the moment Votto posted his fun plea for a job on social media. All of a sudden, the Jays struck and had brought home one of the best in the game after he spent almost two decades with the Reds.

With a career .294 batting average, .920 OPS, along with 356 home runs and 1144 RBI over more than 2000 career games played, Votto brings with him a wealth of major league experience and will certainly serve as a great mentor for many of the young Jays on the club. However, after signing with the Jays just over a week ago, many wondered if there will be enough time for him to get into proper game shape to start the season with the big league club.

He certainly gave his answer to that question in a big way when he hit a huge home run on the very first spring pitch he saw, triumphantly showing that he was more than ready. He may be 40 already, but one thing is still apparent, he can still be a power productive hitter when given the chance, as witnessed by his 14-homer, 38 RBI season in only 65 games played last year. As a result, with the added motivation to play for his home country following his recent heartfelt post on social media, watch Votto be the surprising offseason addition for the Jays that ends up being the huge difference maker for the team. So forget about giving him time in the minors, Votto time is definitely now.