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The Houston Astros acquired outfielder Daulton Varsho and cash considerations from the Blue Jays Monday, sending right-hander Spencer Arrighetti to Toronto in return. Arrighetti has been on the IL since July 25 with nerve irritation in his right foot.
The deal came together so close to the deadline that Varsho and Arrighetti simply swapped uniforms and clubhouses before that night's series opener at Daikin Park. Varsho didn't waste any time making his presence felt, starting in center field and singling in his first at-bat as an Astro, the same position where he won a Gold Glove back in 2024.
Who Is Daulton Varsho?
Varsho is a 30 year old outfielder from Marshfield, Wisconsin, son of former MLB player Gary Varsho. He was drafted by Arizona in 2017, debuted 2020, traded to Toronto in the Gabriel Moreno/Lourdes Gurriel Jr. deal in December 2022.
Here is a look at his career stats, per MLB: .229 average, 106 home runs, 321 RBI, 62 steals, a genuine two-way threat with both power and defense.
Here is a look at his 2026 season so far:
He was hitting .243/.307/.682 with 19 doubles, 7 home runs, and 26 RBI in 99 games for Toronto, per MLB.
Varsho is set to become a free agent after this season, meaning Houston only controls him through the rest of 2026. This is a short-term, win-now addition rather than a long-term piece of the roster.
Last season he hit 20 homers in just 71 games despite battling shoulder and hamstring injuries. Started all 18 games of Toronto's run to the World Series last year, hitting .227 with 3 homers, including one in the World Series itself, per MLB.
The Astros outfielders entered Monday with a .675 OPS, fourth worst in all of MLB, and they were in need of an outfielder and they got one.
Jake Meyers started the year in center but was optioned to Triple-A after hitting .206 in 52 games; several other players (Trammell, Spence, Loperfido, Cole, Johnson) had cycled through center this season. Lucas Spence, who made his debut recently, was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Varsho on the roster.
Walking into a new team can be a challenge, but having a familiar face already in the clubhouse helped. Varsho and Christian Walker were teammates in Arizona, and that connection gave him some ease stepping into a new locker room.
Varsho's not a perfect answer for Houston's outfield, but he's a real one. He had a rough year in Toronto, so maybe a fresh start is exactly what he needs. Either way, how this move looks in October depends a lot on him.
Continue reading...
The deal came together so close to the deadline that Varsho and Arrighetti simply swapped uniforms and clubhouses before that night's series opener at Daikin Park. Varsho didn't waste any time making his presence felt, starting in center field and singling in his first at-bat as an Astro, the same position where he won a Gold Glove back in 2024.
Who Is Daulton Varsho?
Varsho is a 30 year old outfielder from Marshfield, Wisconsin, son of former MLB player Gary Varsho. He was drafted by Arizona in 2017, debuted 2020, traded to Toronto in the Gabriel Moreno/Lourdes Gurriel Jr. deal in December 2022.
Here is a look at his career stats, per MLB: .229 average, 106 home runs, 321 RBI, 62 steals, a genuine two-way threat with both power and defense.
Here is a look at his 2026 season so far:
He was hitting .243/.307/.682 with 19 doubles, 7 home runs, and 26 RBI in 99 games for Toronto, per MLB.
Varsho is set to become a free agent after this season, meaning Houston only controls him through the rest of 2026. This is a short-term, win-now addition rather than a long-term piece of the roster.
Last season he hit 20 homers in just 71 games despite battling shoulder and hamstring injuries. Started all 18 games of Toronto's run to the World Series last year, hitting .227 with 3 homers, including one in the World Series itself, per MLB.
The Astros outfielders entered Monday with a .675 OPS, fourth worst in all of MLB, and they were in need of an outfielder and they got one.
Jake Meyers started the year in center but was optioned to Triple-A after hitting .206 in 52 games; several other players (Trammell, Spence, Loperfido, Cole, Johnson) had cycled through center this season. Lucas Spence, who made his debut recently, was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Varsho on the roster.
Walking into a new team can be a challenge, but having a familiar face already in the clubhouse helped. Varsho and Christian Walker were teammates in Arizona, and that connection gave him some ease stepping into a new locker room.
Varsho's not a perfect answer for Houston's outfield, but he's a real one. He had a rough year in Toronto, so maybe a fresh start is exactly what he needs. Either way, how this move looks in October depends a lot on him.
Continue reading...
