MLB Trade Deadline: 5 best spots for Joey Votto

2. Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays might be losing both Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista this offseason. If that is the case, they will need to spend a lot of money to replace them. Trading for Joey Votto would be one way to do just that. Votto would immediately improve the Blue Jays lineup and could potentially make it even more deadly than it was last season. Sure, Toronto already has Justin Smoak locked up. But let’s be honest, Votto is better than Smoak.

Smoak would likely head to the Reds as a part of the exchange. But do the Blue Jays have enough to get Votto? Top prospect Anthony Alford and fifth-ranked prospect Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., would give the Reds two extremely promising young players. If the Blue Jays include their 19th best prospect, pitcher Yennsy Diaz, that might be enough for them to get Joey Votto.

Votto would give the Blue Jays a perfect top of the order/middle of the order hitter who could easily replace Encarnacion. Replacing Jose Bautista would be a completely different animal, but Votto is quite capable of replacing Encarnacion.

Next: 1. New York Yankees