Joey Votto isn't buying the idea that translation is behind the Guerrero backlash.

"Lost in translation? Let's not do that," Votto said, addressing the viral comments directly.

He didn't hold back on where he stands with Guerrero's talent or his future in the game.

"Vladdy did earn his contract. He's a young superstar who's going to have a fantastic career and retire as a Blue Jay and HOF player like his dad," Votto said.

That's a real vote of confidence in Guerrero's long-term trajectory, even amid the current controversy.

But Votto also drew a clear line between belief in the player and accountability for the moment.

"That said, as someone that has said silly things in my past, this is not him at his best," Votto added.

Why the accountability framing matters here

Votto's comment carries weight given his own history of speaking candidly and reflectively about his career, including moments he's admitted didn't reflect his best self.

That context makes this feel less like an attack and more like a peer trying to steer Guerrero toward genuine self-reflection rather than deflection.

Guerrero has stood firmly behind his original comments, saying he doesn't regret what he said even after clarifying the context around them.

Votto's take suggests the issue isn't really about what got lost between languages. It's about a player needing to own both the comments themselves and the performance that prompted the question in the first place.

For a season already defined by Guerrero's offensive struggles, this back-and-forth adds another layer to a story that's clearly touched a nerve across the baseball world, not just among Blue Jays fans.

Whether Guerrero takes Votto's message to heart, or continues standing firmly on his original framing, remains to be seen as this controversy continues to play out.