Sad News: Prepare for My Coming Back to Get What I Want, The cincinnati red are informed by Joey Votto….

SAN ANTONIO — The Cincinnati Reds may not be in the market for a big splash this winter to add to the lineup or the pitching staff.

But that’s not stopping them from trying to make a second Hall of Fame-caliber addition to the organization before they get to spring training next February.

Reds president Nick Krall said the club has reached out to Joey Votto to gauge interest in returning to the team in a role to be determined.

“We just want to see if there’s anything there that might make sense,” said Krall, considering the possibilities for a role “wide open.”

Krall hasn’t actually talked to Votto, who’s traveling on vacation. But he’s laying the groundwork for a reunion with the 17-year franchise player of a generation.

“There’s an open door to potentially figure something out, if possible,” Krall said.

Votto, 41, was a Gold Glove first baseman, six-time All-Star and 2010 MVP for the Reds before the biggest contract in franchise history expired after the 2023 season and the Reds declined a 2024 option.

He was a significant behind-the-scenes influence on most of the young core of players who were rookies and second-year players during the team’s surprise 2023 run into playoff contention.

“There’s a lot of value to a guy that’s a Hall of Fame player,” said Krall, who last month hired presumptive Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona to replace David Bell.

“Guys in the clubhouse, the younger guys, respect him as a (former) teammate. I think it would be great.”

Votto, who signed a minor-league deal with his hometown Toronto Blue Jays in March, announced his retirement in August while a member of the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, then drove that night to Toronto ‒ where he lives ‒ to visit with former Reds teammates who were finishing a three-game series against the Blue Jays.