Blue Jays send slumping centre fielder Daulton Varsho to Astros as deadline day remake continues

In return, Toronto is getting starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti

Published Aug 03, 2026  •  Last updated 4 hours ago  •  2 minute read

Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho runs the bases after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre on May 13, 2025 in Toronto. Photo by Vaughn Ridley /GETTY IMAGES

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This was supposed to be Daulton Varsho’s year to cash in big as a pending free agent.

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Instead, a season in which the popular outfielder struggled at the plate has ended with him being dealt to the Houston Astros.

The deal came down shortly before Monday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline, as the Jays have a deal in place to move another veteran player on an expiring contract. In return, the Jays are getting starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti, as the Jays continue to stockpile arms.

The deal was reached as the Astros were taking practice prior to Monday’s game against the Jays in Houston and was pending a physical. Varsho passed the medical conditions and the Jays made the deal official just inside 45 minutes prior to the deadline.

Spencer Arrighetti of the Houston Astros pitches during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Daikin Park on July 18, 2026 in Houston. ALEX SLITZ/GETTY IMAGES

It was quite a fall for Varsho, who was such a big part of the team that took the Los Angeles Dodgers to Game 7 of the World Series last fall but has struggled from the outset so far this year. With just seven homers in 333 at-bats over 99 games, it has been a letdown for the Wisconsin native, who many around the team were expecting a huge campaign as his first crack at free agency loomed.

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Varsho arrived with the Jays prior to the 2023 season in a deal with Arizona that sent well-regarded catching prospect Gabriel Moreno and outfielder Lourdes Guriel Jr. to the Diamondbacks.

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He instantly became a fan favourite here, especially for his spectacular defensive plays in centre field. Varsho had rotator cuff surgery in September 2024 that delayed his start to the following season. He has continued to struggle with his throwing arm since and added a weak year at the plate, a familiar malaise with the 2026 Jays.

Varsho was widely considered to be on the block, given his pending free agency. Like starting pitcher Kevin Gausman, who was dealt to the Chicago Cubs late Sunday, Varsho is an extremely popular personality in the Toronto clubhouse.

The return is a solid one for Jays general manager Ross Atkins, who clearly was determined to shore up the rotation, an area of concern since the start of the season. In right-hander Arrighetti, the Jays are getting a 27-year-old who has started 17 games this season, pitching to a 4.60 ERA in 88 innings of work.

Arrighetti, who has pitched in parts of three major league seasons with the Astros, is currently on the 15-day injured list with what the Astros are calling right foot nerve irritation. 

With the Jays visiting the Astros for a three-game series Monday in Houston, Varsho won’t have far to go to meet his new teammates in what promises to be an emotional few days for the 30-year-old. Once he cleared his physical, the Astros announced that Varsho would be holding an introductory press conference in an Astros uniform, no doubt, in advance of Monday’s game.

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