3 Trade Landing Spots For Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho
Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today on Foul Territory, the Blue Jays will have to move Varsho, and the veteran outfielder is expected to have plenty of suitors.
"I think Varsho will have a lot of suitors," Nightengale said. "So, I think these next 10 days are as big to them as any organization in baseball."
Varsho is hitting .237 with a .301 on-base percentage, seven home runs, and 25 RBI across 300 at-bats, offensive numbers well below his standards.
What is not in question is the glove.
The 2024 Gold Glove winner has not committed a single error in more than 675 innings in center field this season, and he is playing on a $10.75 million deal that expires after the year. Here are three fits.
Houston Astros
ESPN's Jeff Passan named Varsho a dream-fit acquisition for the Astros should he become available.
Houston sits in a better position than Toronto despite a similar record because the AL West has been so weak, giving them a realistic shot at a division title.
Adding Varsho's elite center field defense and power upside to a lineup anchored by Yordan Alvarez would deepen a roster built for October, and his postseason experience fits what the Astros value.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies were dead in the water earlier this season and have since emerged as one of the best teams in the National League.
Philadelphia has the prospect capital to make a deal work, with arms like Alex McFarlane and David Saltiban among the names Toronto could target in return.
Varsho would give the Phillies a big defensive upgrade in the outfield for a postseason run, and his left-handed bat would balance the lineup.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays are always in the mix, and the fit here would work both ways.
Tampa Bay's pitching depth is what makes them attractive to Toronto, which is thin on upper-level arms behind Trey Yesavage after injuries to Jake Bloss and Ricky Tiedemann.
A lefty starter like Michael Forret is the type of piece the Blue Jays could ask for, making the Rays one of the more likely trade partners on paper.
The path to a Varsho trade got clearer when manager John Schneider announced that Jesus Sanchez is nearing a return, which would let Toronto slide Nathan Lukes to center and make Varsho expendable without leaving the outfield depleted.
With Toronto's playoff odds sitting at just 8.9 percent, the pressure to move him is only growing.
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