The Toronto Blue Jays Were Hoodwinked

For some reason, the Toronto Blue Jays can never have nice things. This has included playoff wins, Shohei Ohtani, and trades made by General Manager Ross Atkins in recent years. His trade of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno for Daulton Varsho is starting to look like another blemish for him. While Gurriel Jr. and Moreno thrived in Arizona, Varsho has struggled mightily offensively for Toronto. While Varsho has provided outstanding defense, the Blue Jays could’ve easily signed a cheap free agent instead of giving up two quality players. Ross Atkins got hoodwinked on the Daulton Varsho trade.

Toronto Thought They Were Getting A Player On The Rise

Before the 2023 season, the Blue Jays were looking to be a much-improved team defensively. They then decided to flip Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno to the Diamondbacks for Daulton Varsho. At the time, the trade appeared to make sense for Toronto. Catcher Alejandro Kirk was an all-star in 2022 making the talented Moreno expandable. Gurriel Jr. only hit five home runs in 2022 and Varsho looked poised to have a breakout season. In his first full season as an everyday player, Daulton Varsho slashed .235/.342/.403 with 27 homers, 74 RBI, and a .745 OPS while also providing superior defensive play. On paper, many people believed that the Arizona Diamondbacks got fleeced by the Toronto Blue Jays. However, it hasn’t worked out that way.

The Trade Hasn’t Panned Out For Toronto

The signs of this trade being a mistake were seen early last season. While Varsho has provided stellar play on defense, the 27-year-old has left a lot to be desired offensively. In almost two seasons in Toronto, Varsho has slashed just .213/.285/.391 with 31 homers, 98 RBI, and a .676 OPS. It hasn’t helped that he’s struck out 27.3% of the time as well. This is a far cry from the player who looked to be on the verge of breaking out. He certainly is part of the reason why the Blue Jays have been struggling offensively for most of the season.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. And Gabriel Moreno Have Become Major Contributors

Meanwhile, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno have become major pieces of the Diamondbacks foundation. After making the all-star team in 2023, Gurriel Jr. signed a three-year $42 million contract to stay in Arizona. Since coming to the desert, Gurriel Jr. has put up a slash line of .264/.305/.452 with 37 home runs, 137 RBI, and a .757 OPS. The 30-year-old hasn’t been bad defensively either as he’s saved 16 runs in almost two seasons with the D-Backs. He was also a big part of Arizona’s shocking run to the World Series in 2023.

Gabriel Moreno has cemented himself as the Diamondbacks catcher for years to come. Moreno has slashed .271/.337/.396 in almost two seasons with Arizona with 11 homers, 81 RBI, and a .733 OPS. The 24-year-old has also proven to be an elite defender as well. Since joining the Diamondbacks, Moreno has saved over 20 runs. Like Gurriel Jr., Moreno was also a big part of Arizona’s run to the World Series last year.

The Blue Jays Really Can’t Have Nice Things

The Blue Jays always seem to be on the unfavorable end of things. Their trade for Daulton Varsho is just the latest example of this trend. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno have been solid contributors for the Diamondbacks both offensively and defensively. While Varsho has been an excellent defender, he’s not intimidating offensively. This wasn’t the player that Toronto thought they were acquiring. As Gurriel Jr. and Moreno continue to have success, this is only going to get worse. Failed moves like this are why the Toronto Blue Jays haven’t won a playoff game in almost eight years. It seems very hard to have anything nice in Canada.

For more on baseball, check out Belly Up Sports and follow Eric on Twitter. Featured Images: Getty Images