Gary Varsho always told his son Daulton that one of the best things to happen in his career was getting traded.
It was spring training, 1991 when Varsho, who spent his first nine professional seasons with the Chicago Cubs, was dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Suddenly, the corner outfielder went from sparse opportunities with the Cubs to a more regular role with the Pirates, going on to have the best statistical season of his career with a .273/.344/.417 batting line, good for a 117 wRC+.
That summer, against the Cubs of all teams, Varsho played the game of his life, going 3-for-4 with two homers, a triple, and a sacrifice fly, driving in a career-high six runs. And that fall, he made his first of two consecutive NLCS appearances with the Pirates — the only taste of post-season baseball he’d get in his career.
“It was one of the greatest things for him. And so, I’m thinking the same thing,” Daulton Varsho said Saturday, discussing the trade that sent him from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Toronto Blue Jays a day earlier. “I’m coming to the winning team here in Toronto and it’s going to be a lot of fun. A lot of the guys already reached out to me and it’s already making me feel at home.”
The trade, which saw the Blue Jays acquire Varsho for catcher Gabriel Moreno and outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., caught the 26-year-old by surprise. He’d seen his name in plenty of speculation this off-season and his father had even mentioned the Blue Jays as a good potential fit. But there’s no preparing for your first time being dealt.
“I didn’t ever think that it was really going to happen. And when it happened, I got a little shocked,” Varsho said. “But now, being around and talking with the guys and talking with the staff, it’s going to be a great fit for me and my family. Just excited to be able to be a part of it. It’s going to be a lot of fun.
“They’re a young group, like we were in Arizona. But they have a little bit more time and experience all around. They’ve just got a good, all-around team. Facing a couple of the guys who went over like Kevin Gausman, I know what they have there to be able to do a lot of things and make it special,” he continued. “Bo Bichette texted me this morning, welcoming me to the team. It’s just pretty cool all those little things. It means a lot to me because it creates a little family bond, which is a big thing for me.”
In acquiring a powerful, left-handed bat who graded last season as one of MLB’s best outfield defenders, the Blue Jays are excited themselves. Varsho helps Toronto diversify its at-times homogenous offence and increases the club’s flexibility to deploy optimally constructed lineups.
“The impact that he’s going to have on our team is going to be on every side of the ball — the baserunning impact, the speed, the versatility, elite defecse, and the fact that he can also catch for us is about as good of a fit as possibly we could have found,” Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins said. “It is the ideal fit for this roster and one that we are very excited about.”
Throughout the off-season, Atkins has repeatedly stated his front office group’s desire to improve the club’s run prevention ahead of 2023. Trading for reliever Erik Swanson before signing outfielder Kevin Kiermaier and right-handed starter Chris Bassitt made significant strides in that direction. And while Varsho’s left-handed power approach — he hit .235/.302/.443 with 27 homers and a 106 wRC+ in 2022 — certainly made him an attractive complement to Toronto’s right-handed heavy lineup, Atkins said the club was just as drawn to the defensive impact he could provide.
Varsho led MLB with 18 outs above average last season and ranked within the league’s 97th percentile in terms of outfielder jump as measured by Statcast. Various public defensive metrics give him plus grades in both right and centre field, although his below-average arm strength may make him a better fit for left.
That’s the position Atkins said Varsho would predominantly play for the Blue Jays, although he’ll likely also see time at the other two outfield spots as circumstances warrant. Varsho, who began his professional career behind the plate, can also serve as a de facto third catcher behind Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk, allowing the Blue Jays to leverage one of their primary two backstops as a designated hitter if they so choose.
“It’d be hard for him to be better as a defender. I think tapping into the versatility, the fact that he can play all three outfield positions and catch, is a very good complement to us,” Atkins said. “We’ve been entirely focused on preventing more runs and we feel like we’ve made huge strides in that area.”
Of course, the Blue Jays are paying a substantial price to acquire Varsho. Moreno was ranked as a top-three prospect in the game this season by both Baseball America and FanGraphs. An athletic defender with strong contact ability, the right-handed hitter batted .315/.386/.420 with a 120 wRC+ across 267 triple-A plate appearances, and .319/.356/.377 with a 113 wRC+ over a limited, 73-plate-appearance MLB sample.
His most glaring question mark was a relatively meagre power output this season, which saw him leave the yard only four times over his 340 plate appearances at any level. But some of that could be tied to thumb and wrist issues he’s battled since 2021. And, entering his age-23 season, Moreno still has plenty of time and potential to find a way to drive the ball with more authority.
“All trades are difficult,” Atkins said. “To acquire a player of this calibre, one of the top players, better players in the game last year, you’re going to have to be uncomfortable.”
Gurriel, meanwhile, has been an important part of the Blue Jays core since his 2018 MLB debut. Only three players — Teoscar Hernandez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Randal Grichuk — have made more plate appearances for the Blue Jays over that span. And Gurriel’s were certainly productive, as he’s slashing .285/.329/.468 with a 115 wRC+ for his career.
Defensive limitations and last season’s dip in power numbers — Gurriel underwent hamate surgery on his left hand in October — notwithstanding, the 29-year-old played a principal role on a pair of playoff teams and back-to-back 90-game winners. But Atkins said including Gurriel, who’s entering his final season prior to free agency, in the deal was essential from Arizona’s perspective.
“Including Lourdes Gurriel in the deal was difficult for us but necessary from their end,” Atkins said. “They were looking to consolidate talent at the major-league level as well. So, the prospect-driven deals weren’t as attractive to them.”
Of course, Atkins has a strong relationship with Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen dating back to their time working together in Cleveland’s player development system years ago. That, coupled with Toronto’s surplus of major-league catchers and Arizona’s surplus of left-handed hitting centre fielders, led to very active trade discussions between the two sides throughout the off-season.
“Right from the start, we felt that was going to be a very important team and fit. From the very beginning of the offseason, that dialogue began,” Atkins said. “All three catchers were of some interest to them and all of their outfielders were of some interest [to us.]
“I think the component that made it challenging is that we were both trying to consolidate more talent on our major-league roster. They are looking to take steps forward, obviously, and push the envelope on the winning front. And that’s why Lourdes Gurriel came into the picture and made this deal work.”
Barring something dramatic and unforeseen, Varsho will be the final major acquisition of Toronto’s off-season. But Atkins said the Blue Jays would still look to make improvements around the fringes of its roster.
“I think our heavy lifting is done,” Atkins said. “But certainly not ruling anything out and would expect some incremental improvements. But very excited about this impact and feel good about the previous acquisitions that we’ve made as well.”
That could come in the form of another outfielder or utility type to round out the Blue Jays bench. Varsho’s career platoon splits — .781 OPS vs. right-handed pitching; .615 vs. lefties — are notable and the Blue Jays could look to augment their options against left-handed pitching.
The Blue Jays could also look to upgrade the back end of their rotation, where Yusei Kikuchi and Mitch White are currently positioned as Toronto’s Nos. 5 and 6 starters. Bullpen adds remain possible, as well, although that could necessitate the Blue Jays subtracting from what is currently a crowded field of relievers.
Ultimately, the Blue Jays have accomplished the major adjustments they sought to make this winter — improving defensively, upgrading their pitching staff, and diversifying their offensive profile. There’s also a character line to be drawn through their three most recent acquisitions, as Kiermaier, Bassitt, and Varsho are all well regarded as intense, unrelenting competitors.
“From a personality and teammate standpoint, he is a hard-nosed gamer that loves the process, loves the work,” Atkins said of Varsho. “We’re exceptionally excited about how these guys that we’ve acquired this year in Swanson, Kiermaier, Bassitt and now Varsho, go about their business, their competitiveness, their focus on process, and their focus on being good teammates.”
Varsho describes his mindset as “fast and physical.” The same mentality he carried as a football player growing up in Wisconsin. If he’s pursuing a baseball in an outfield gap, tracking down a pop up behind home plate, or trying to go first-to-third, he’s doing it with a full head of steam. And who does Varsho credit for that instinct? Well, who do you think?
“I learned a lot of those things from my dad,” Varsho said. “He’s the guy I go to every day. He’s the one that I’m able to bounce some things off. He’s been there from the beginning to the end of understanding my swing, understanding an adjustment, helping me out with outfield play, and understanding the little things that go on with an everyday game. There’s not really many people who are going to understand going through a 162-game season, the ebbs and flows, and what that’s all like. So, it’s nice to have that resource.”
