Let’s look back on the trade that sent Daulton Varsho to the Toronto Blue Jays and catcher Gabriel Moreno and outfielder Lourdes Gurriel to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Because with each player making the World Series within three seasons of the trade, it could go down as one of the more fair trades in recent baseball memory.
When the Blue Jays acquired Varsho, they envisioned him finally cementing their hole in center field. Moving on from Moreno, who was widely viewed as a future high-end catcher, and Gurriel, a pending free agent, confirmed that. He’s emerged as a key figure in Toronto, become one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball, and has hit at least 18-20 homers in each of his three seasons with the Blue Jays.
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Daulton Varsho has been everything the Blue Jays could've asked for
Internally, the Blue Jays feel like Varsho is finally realizing that potential. They cite how he’s been hurt at times this season, with manager John Schenider saying “I wish Varsh was healthy the whole year.” He’s made adjustments and tweaks at the plate to refine his approach. He’s been effective against right and left-handed pitchers. And he’s been steady once again this postseason, with his game-tying two-run homer off Blake Snell – the first that Snell had allowed in seven starts and the first allowed to a left-handed hitter this season – being the exclamation point on his growth.
"He's very underrated," one scout said of Varsho.
In Arizona, meanwhile, Moreno has been phenomenal. While he only played in 83 games this season, he is the Diamondbacks’ unquestioned catcher of the future. He’s a Gold Glove-caliber option behind the plate and has earned the trust of the pitching staff. He’s grown as an offensive threat, hitting .285/.353/.433 with nine home runs and 40 RBI, and will be a steady force in Arizona through at least the 2029 season.
Gurriel, meanwhile, has been largely productive since going to Arizona, hitting .263/.309/.439 with 61 home runs and 237 RBI in three seasons.He ‘s primarily played in left field, but has been a designated hitter and (very rarely) played first base.
Blue Jays and Diamondbacks got the most of this good baseball trade
When I first got into baseball, one of the first phrases I heard from executives – both general managers and people in front offices – was they were always looking for a “good baseball trade.” They wanted trades that benefited one another that would lead to success and future trades. This trade is the very definition of that.
Now, it feels like teams are operating with being less risk averse. Instead of taking a big swing (with the exception of Padres honcho A.J. Preller), most teams preserve prospects. They want to build around cheap, controllable assets. Which is totally fine! But the Blue Jays took the risk of moving Moreno and betting that Varsho would reach his ceiling. The Diamondbacks took the risk of moving Varsho and also added Gurriel Jr. 's salary (they later extended him).
This trade should be a signal for teams that it’s okay to move prospects (within reason). The packages that certain teams were seeking for starters (MacKenzie Gore and others) was viewed as unreasonable, and rightfully so. But sometimes it's okay to take a risk. That should have been evident when the Diamondbacks made the World Series in 2023 and it should be even more obvious now that the Blue Jays are in the World Series.