The Houston Astros finally have their left-handed hitting outfielder. The Astros are set to acquire rental center fielder Daulton Varsho from the Toronto Blue Jays for starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti, reports The Athletic. Neither team has announced the trade.
Varsho, 30, is hitting .243/.307/.375 with nine home runs this season, and an even split against righties and lefties. He is a terrific, Gold Glove-winning center fielder who will give Houston the lefty bat to complement Yordan Alvarez they've lacked for years. The Astros have gotten the second-fewest plate appearances from lefties this year, ahead of only the Los Angeles Angels.
With Varsho aboard, manager Joe Espada can fill out his lineup card along these lines:
- SS Jeremy Peña, RHB
- DH Yordan Alvarez, LHB
- 3B Isaac Paredes, RHB
- 1B Christian Walker, RHB
- CF Daulton Varsho, LHB
- 2B Jose Altuve, RHB
- C Yainer Diaz, RHB
- LF Taylor Trammell, LHB
- RF Cam Smith, RHB
After sweeping the Texas Rangers this past weekend, the Astros are 58-55 and 2 ½ games up in the AL West. They were reportedly looking to add pitching prior to the trade deadline, both a starter and reliever(s), but a lefty-hitting outfielder was a must. Varsho will boost Houston's offense and significantly upgrade its defense. He's one of the best center fielders in the sport.
The Blue Jays have now traded away two rentals prior to Monday's 6 p.m. ET trade deadline (Varsho and Kevin Gausman), though they've also added two pitchers with multiple years of control in Arrighetti and José Soriano. Arrighetti, 26, is currently on the injured list with a foot issue. He has a 4.66 ERA in parts of three MLB seasons and is under team control through 2029.
Here now are our trade grades for the Varsho for Arrighetti swap.
Houston Astros: B
Defense makes up for questionable offense
Varsho is a streaky hitter who can be frustrating when he's not hitting the ball out of the park, something he hasn't done often this year. His defense gives him a very high floor. though. His glove makes it worth having in the lineup even when he's not hitting. It's just a question of which Varsho shows up offensively. Given the cost (a pitcher who had yet to grab a rotation spot and run with it), it's a solid pickup for Houston.
Toronto Blue Jays: B
Let Toronto figure him out
I'm giving the Blue Jays the benefit of the doubt here because they're very good at coaching up pitchers, and Arrighetti has a lot to work with given his funky release traits and capacity to spin the ball. For the time being, he'll join Soriano, Cody Ponce, Trey Yesavage, and Dylan Cease in the club's 2027 rotation outlook. At minimum, Arrighetti is a depth arm who could also factor into the bullpen.
