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Daulton Varsho traded to Blue Jays, as D-Backs get Gabriel Moreno Plus More

Dominic Gutierrez / MLB / December 23, 2022

Daulton Varsho traded to Blue Jays, as D-Backs get Gabriel Moreno Plus More

In a surprising move, the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks have agreed to a trade that will send catcher/outfielder Daulton Varsho to Toronto. In return, the D-backs will acquire catcher Gabriel Moreno as well as utility man Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Jon Heyman of the NY Post was first on the news. And yes, he was actually correct this time.

Daulton Varsho close to being dealt to Blue Jays
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 23, 2022

Varsho, 26, had the best season of his young career in 2022. His 4.9 WAR more than doubled his previous career-high, as he also hit 27 home runs and 74 RBIs in 151 games. Varsho was also a Gold Glove finalist as both an outfielder and utility man, boosting his value as a quality hitter and defender. He also led all MLB outfielders in OAA with 18. The Blue Jays traded outfielder Teoscar Hernández to the Mariners back in November, so the Jays have been needing a new outfield piece.

The Blue Jays made it aware they were offering one of their three catchers, which included Moreno, Alejandro Kirk, and Danny Jansen. It’s still surprising to see Moreno be dealt, who is only 22 and has been one of the top-catching prospects in baseball. Before his debut in June, Moreno was ranked as the No. 4 prospect in MLB. In 25 games for the Blue Jays, he batted .319/.356/.377 with one homer and seven RBIs. His bat-to-ball skills and hard-hit rate made him jump in the rankings. He was seen as a future core piece for a young Jays team. In the end, they felt more comfortable with Kirk and Jansen, despite Moreno being so highly valued.

Gurriel was also surprising, especially since the Jays were already giving up Moreno. The 29-year-old has spent his time in the outfield, batting .291 with only five home runs in 121 games. 2022 will be considered Gurriel’s worst of his career so far, which goes to show how well he’s performed. In 2021, Gurriel broke out for a 21-homer season and a 2.8 WAR.

Varsho is a nice piece to have. He’s under club control until 2026 and fills the Blue Jays outfield hole. Is Varsho really worth it though? Trading Gurriel just creates another open spot, while also giving up a top-catching prospect in Moreno. Varsho can still continue his breakout in 2022 and become a solid piece for the Jays. It isn’t a total loss for the Jays, but the D-Backs definitely have the higher end. They already have a talented, young core cooking. Adding Moreno to a lineup with Druw Jones and Corbin Carroll is going to make this D-Backs team contenders quickly. The Blue Jays can come out as winners if Moreno ends up a bust, but it’s a big risk they’ll hope pays off.