Blue Jays trade Daulton Varsho to Astros for Spencer Arrighetti

The Toronto Blue Jays continued their busy trade deadline by reportedly shipping Daulton Varsho to the Houston Astros for pitcher Spencer Arrighetti. 

Varsho is an impending free agent who was expected to be dealt with the Blue Jays having fallen out of playoff contention. Arrighetti, meanwhile, is a controllable young starter pitcher who has shown flashes of upside when he’s managed to stay healthy. 

This swap is just the latest in a long line of trades between these two front offices, which most recently connected on the Jesús Sánchez for Joey Loperfido deal before the season began. 

Did the Blue Jays get a fair return for Varsho? 

Varsho’s contract season has been a disappointment on multiple levels thus far. He entered Monday slashing .243/.307/.375 on the year with just seven home runs after going deep a staggering 20 times in only 71 games last season.

He’s lost a step on defence, too, having accrued just four outs above average in centre field compared to nine in 2025. He’s also on pace to record his lowest fielding run value in the outfield since 2021 when he was with the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

Arrighetti, 26, is currently on the injured list with nerve irritation in his foot. He was in the middle of an inconsistent season of his own before being sidelined, working to a 4.60 ERA and 1.341 WHIP with 87 strikeouts in 88 innings pitched. He won American League Pitcher of the Month for May by recording a pristine 0.93 ERA over five starts.

The six-foot-two righty possesses elite extension off the mound and has excelled at limiting hard contact this year; his 30.6 hard-hit rate allowed ranks in the 94th percentile. His 87.3 mph average exit velocity ranks in the 80th percentile. 

Walks have been Arrighetti’s kryptonite thus far throughout his young career, not unlike newly acquired José Soriano. The Blue Jays pitching development team appears confident in its ability to rectify these issues given its recent success with Dylan Cease and Robbie Ray. 

Toronto will have time to help Arrighetti reach his full potential as he is under team control through the end of the 2029 season. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him starting games for the Blue Jays at some point next season regardless. 

It’s hard not to see this deal as a win for both teams. The Astros get some much-needed outfield help amidst a tight race in the AL West, and the Blue Jays get a controllable starting pitcher with some upside to bolster their rotation depth. 

Varsho won’t have to wait long to meet his new teammates , either, with the Blue Jays set to begin a three-game series in Houston against the Astros on Monday night. 

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