Fan Favorite Could Be Trade Candidate if Blue Jays Keep Struggling

The Toronto Blue Jays are not off to a strong start this year to follow up their World Series appearance in 2025, dealing with an endless run of injuries and not playing up to standard.

While there is, of course, plenty of time to get things going, especially as names come off the injured list and the full-strength squad is rolled out there, if things get to a point where contention is out of the question, tough calls will have to be made.

Nobody saw Toronto becoming deadline sellers, but it’s not out of the question if the poor injury luck continues. If it does, the Blue Jays could get some value out of some guys, especially impending free agents.

In a recent article from Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report naming some players who may be candidates to be dealt at the deadline, he had Toronto trading away star center fielder Daulton Varsho to the Detroit Tigers.

Blue Jays Trade Idea Sees Daulton Varsho to Tigers

Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

“With 16.7 WAR since the start of the 2022 season, Daulton Varsho is a strong candidate for baseball’s All-Underrated Team, and free agency awaits next offseason for the slugging outfielder,” Reuter wrote. “For the Tigers, he would be a clear upgrade to a position that has been something of a revolving door, and even more so now that Parker Meadows is sidelined following arm surgery.”

Varsho is off to another solid start to the year on both sides of the ball, and though he missed a lot of time last season, he was on a pace for arguably the best season of his career by posting a 2.8 bWAR through just 71 games for Toronto.

Trading him away would sting badly, but it all depends on if Toronto plans to make him a serious offer this offseason. If not, and they are not in contention by the deadline, it would be tough not to at least field calls on the 29-year-old.

What Blue Jays Could Receive in Return for Varsho

Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

While Varsho is one of the more valuable outfielders in baseball due to his impact both with the glove and the bat, ultimately, one-year rentals are capped on what a team is willing to give up. Reuter’s deal had Hao-Yu Lee — a Detroit top-ten prospect — coming back as the centerpiece of the deal, so a top-100 type guy would likely be out of the question.

If Toronto thinks they are going to sign Varsho long-term, then dealing him away would probably be a little bit foolish. If not though, this has to be something the Blue Jays consider.

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