At one point last season, the Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds were beginning serious discussions regarding Canadian first baseman Joey Votto coming home to Toronto, according to sources with knowledge at the time.

But then other Jays moves were made at the trade deadline. GM Alex Anthopoulos executed deals for Troy Tulowitzki and David Price, coming together quickly over 24 hours. The Votto talks never gained momentum.

The teams need to reopen those discussions now.

Votto’s continuing presence with the struggling Reds in a smaller baseball market makes no sense. Votto is owed about $182 million guaranteed through the 2023 season, including a $7-million buyout for 2024. The 32-year-old Etobicoke native maxes out at $25 million for his peak six years, from 2018 to 2023, and the last time discussions were in progress the Reds were expected to eat some of that salary.

There are many reasons for such a bold Jays move.

The first is financial. The Jays have discovered that winning games and contending in the AL East breeds huge TV ratings and at least three million in home attendance. Keeping that momentum going is worth Votto’s salary.

Second, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and R.A. Dickey are about to become free agents and the cost of signing one of the two sluggers would be about the same as what Votto is making, and the former MVP is inked long-term.

Third, signing Bautista to a three-year deal would be risky, given his recent physical woes and that he is four years older. Plus, given what transpired in the spring in terms of seemingly wanting to be paid for past successes with the Jays, that Bautista ship may have sailed. The best move would be a qualifying offer for one year at about $18 million in order to get compensation if he was to sign as a free agent elsewhere. Further, given Encarnacion’s huge season, the bidding for him will be fiercely competitive, with David Ortiz and his tampering Red Sox at the front of the line.

Fourth, if the Jays do not bring in another star player if Encarnacion and Bautista should choose to go elsewhere, then who is going to move forward with Josh Donaldson, Tulowitzki and Russell Martin to keep the contending window of opportunity open? And if the Jays are not contenders, will those three stars, all under contract at least through 2018, want to hang around?

Fifth, the Reds, when they agreed to an extension with Votto just prior to the 2011 season, believed they were a team on the upswing and on the verge of contending for years. But now they find themselves entering this week 17 games under .500 with a payroll of $89.9 million — $20 million of that being eaten up by one player. The Reds payroll was $115.4 million in 2015. Their direction is clear.

But mostly, that blockbuster trade, if the Jays were able to find enough pieces to satisfy the Reds, would be all about salvaging the final 40 days of the 2016 season. A player like Votto, with the money he is still owed, could likely pass through the necessary waivers for an August trade.

The Jays enter the stretch drive with absolutely no left-handed threat. Since the all-star break, the five lefty swingers on the roster — Justin Smoak (switch hitter), Michael Saunders, Ezequiel Carrera, Ryan Goins and Josh Thole, plus the recently departed Darrell Ceciliani — have combined to bat a dismal .161 with 43 hits in 267 at-bats. In those 33 games, lefty Jays bats have just eight homers and 19 RBIs with 32 walks and 101 strikeouts. Teams look to save left-handed starters against the Jays.

There is a reason the Indians beat the Jays two out of three in Cleveland in a hotly contested series of one-run games. Check out the Indians lineup on Sunday. Manager Terry Francona had five switch-hitters and three left-handed hitters, with four right-handed swingers on the bench. When it came to the game-winning homer off lefty reliever Brett Cecil, Jose Ramirez turned around to bat right. On Friday, left.

Meanwhile, the Jays countered against former Cy Young winning right-hander Corey Kluber with lefties Saunders, Carrera and Goins. Nobody in the AL fears the Jays’ lefties. Southpaw Andrew Miller, acquired by the Indians to be the closer, watched the ninth inning from the Tribe bullpen and didn’t pitch in the series. Jays left-handed hitters were 7-for-35 (.200) in the three-game set with four walks and 13 strikeouts — and the Indians did not go to one lefty pitcher.

If Votto joined the Jays for the final month, Encarnacion could DH with Bautista in right and Saunders and Melvin Upton Jr. sharing left field.

Votto has a full no-trade, but I’m sure he could be convinced to come to a contender in his home town. Then, after the season, the Jays could negotiate with their own free agents knowing what they already have.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

With the Reds this season, Votto is batting .306 with a .947 OPS. He has 44 extra-base hits (including 20 homers), plus 68 RBIs and 90 bases on balls. For his career, Votto has a .317 average against left-handed pitching and a .297 mark against righties.

The Jays rotation is good enough, and the bullpen is improved. The Indians series demonstrated where the Jays come up short, and in October they can’t win with just right-handed power bats.

Read more about: