Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
What Does Daulton Varsho Bring to the Blue Jays?
Daulton Varsho ticks all the boxes of Toronto's offseason agenda.
The former Diamondback flashes unique versatility, an elite glove, and the southpaw bat the Jays craved. Adding those elements to Toronto's lineup came at a price, though, with the Blue Jays sending off outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and top prospect Gabriel Moreno.
Breaking down an addition that was both obvious and costly, we look at what the Jays have in their newest bat and how Varsho will slide into the 26-man roster:
In The Field
Varsho might be the most unique defender in baseball, with 82 career games at catcher and 182 in the outfield. He was drafted as a backstop and played just 10 minor league games as an outfielder, but in the last three years, he's become not only a legit utility man but one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball.
Playing mainly center and right field last year, Varsho ranked within the top three among outfielders in every major defensive stat (DRS, UZR, and OAA). With an average arm, Varsho's strength in the outfield is built on solid speed and an elite first step. He ranked within the top three percentile in 'outfielder jump' in 2022, per Baseball Savant. Varsho has told reporters his experience behind the plate and knowledge of pitching plans assist him in premeditating where hits will go and nailing initial reactions to fly balls in the outfield.
Behind the dish, Varsho doesn't own the defensive leaderboards as he does in the outfield, but he's still a serviceable option. Varsho ranked out as exactly neutral in catcher framing runs last year, posted a slightly above-average pop time, and caught 33% of attempted base stealers (above league average). He's been behind the plate for some big games, too, catching DBacks starter Tyler Gilbert's 2021 no-hitter in the hurler's first career start.
At The Plate
Over 40% of Varsho's WAR value last year came on the defensive end, but he brings value on offense, too.
After a rocky rookie season in 2020, Varsho has been an above-average hitter since, owning a .239/.308/.441 slash line and an OPS that sits seven percent above league average.
The new Blue Jay was particularly hot in the second half of 2022, hitting 15 homers in his final 59 games with a .793 OPS. Overall, Varsho's strength has been against right-handed pitching, posting an .801 OPS and hitting 26 of his 27 homers last year against the strong side of the platoon. He owns some speed on the basepaths, too, stealing 25 bases (seven caught stealing) in his 283 career games.
When Varsho suits up for Toronto, one thing to watch for is the impact of MLB's new shift bans. Varsho hit each of his 27 homers to center or right field last year (his pull side) and 64% of his total hits were pulled into right. The Wisconsin native was Arizona's third-most shifted player last year and still managed to hit .379 on those pulled balls. With infield defenders forced to play him more straight-up, Varsho's success driving balls into right could be even higher in 2023.
Daulton Varsho's 2022 Spray Chart
Baseball Savant
On The Roster
Given the significant package the Blue Jays traded for him, and Varsho's positional versatility, it's safe to assume he'll be a nearly everyday player.
Maybe the Blue Jays add another outfielder to take the burden off Varsho and Kevin Kiermaier against left-handed pitching (Adam Duvall, Robbie Grossman or Andrew McCutchen?), but the more interesting discussion remains around where Varsho will slot in defensively.
Per Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith, the Blue Jays see Varsho as a primary outfielder, and it's easy to see why. With Varsho, Kiermaier, and Springer, the Blue Jays have three 'natural' centerfielders to spread around the turf, with an outfield layout of Varsho in left, Kiermaier in center, and Springer in right seeming most likely at this time.
Varsho has played just 17 games in his MLB career in left field, but that's 16 more than either Springer or Kiermaier have. Both Springer and Kiermaier have spent significant time on the injured list, too, so Varsho's ability to play in center and right will be useful.
With Moreno heading to Arizona, Toronto's catching tandem will be a similar Danny Jansen/Alejandro Kirk split the Jays rolled with for stretches last year. Varsho may start some games or move into a more traditional catching platoon if one of the mainstays gets hurt, but just his presence on the roster will allow the Jays to make late-game roster moves knowing they have another backstop option.
When it comes to the batting order, Varsho's a natural fit in the middle of Toronto's lineup. By the end of 2022, John Schneider ran out a lineup that began with Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and Kirk. With the four righties up top, Varsho could slide into the fifth spot that belonged to Teoscar Hernández, breaking up the lineup with a lefty before Matt Chapman, Jansen, and others. In 115 plate appearances hitting fifth for Arizona last year, Varsho posted a .289 batting average and .913 OPS (42% above his usual mark).
