Joey Votto

There are no active players with 500 homers, or 3,000 hits, or 300 wins. They're not just numbers. How long will it take to fill this void?

Votto let The Athletic follow him around on his first full day as a Blue Jay, as he discussed the next adventure in his baseball journey.

Votto, who grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, agreed to a minor-league deal because he feels like he can still be productive.

Votto hit .202/.314/.433 in only 65 games for the Reds in 2023.

Votto's hardly the only player without a team at this point in the calendar, but few players on the market have his resume or experience.

"If this is my time with the Cincinnati Reds organization, I have had the best time in my life," Votto said.

The Reds declined their $20 million option on Votto's contract Saturday and after a buyout of $7 million, Votto is a free agent.

Votto's last game brought tears: "I was bawling thinking about the end of tenure, the end of my relationship with the Cincinnati Reds."

Votto may have played his last game as a Red on Sunday, but there are several scenarios under which he could return in 2024.

Votto, 40, is in the final year of a 10-year, $225 million contract.

"I certainly want to continue to play," Votto said after the Reds' victory over the Pirates on Sunday. "I love to play."

Also in the notes: Slimming down to a four-man rotation; reinforcements peter out; top draft picks come to town.

"It felt like we had our family back together today," Reds manager David Bell said. "It's exciting. We're playing for something now."

No one wants to think that Votto would leave on anything but his own terms. But he also can't dictate how his body responds.

Despite a loss to the Blue Jays, the Reds' future looked incredibly bright — and perhaps even faster — when Marte entered the game.

The Reds veteran visited "The Athletic Baseball Show" for a riveting new Starkville episode.

One lesson, passed down from star to star, can — like a signature — endure long after any specific player’s career ends. 

Also in the notes: Joey Votto, Elly De La Cruz bouncing back; pinch runners at third base; minors roundup.