On Dec. 23, 2022, the Blue Jays sent Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and top prospect Gabriel Moreno to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Daulton Varsho.
BREAKING: The Toronto Blue Jays and Arizona Diamondbacks are in agreement on a trade that will send outfielder Daulton Varsho to the Blue Jays for a package that includes top catching prospect Gabriel Moreno, sources tell ESPN.
This was one of the more predictable trades in recent history. The Blue Jays had a surplus of catchers and needed a left-handed batting outfielder, while the Diamondbacks had a surplus of left-handed batting outfielders and needed a catcher.
Both Gurriel Jr. and Moreno found success in their first season with the Diamondbacks. Moreno slashed .284/.339/.408 with seven home runs in 380 plate appearances for a 102 wRC+ and 2.3 fWAR. Gurriel Jr.’s power totals increased, as he hit a career-high 24 home runs in 592 plate appearances, slashing .261/.309/.463 with a 105 wRC+ and 2 fWAR.
The trade paid off for the Diamondbacks almost immediately, as they snuck into a Wild Card spot and went all the way to the World Series, where they fell in five games to the Texas Rangers.
Moreno has progressively gotten better over the past two years, posting a 107 wRC+ and 2.5 fWAR in 2024, then a 117 wRC+ and 2.7 fWAR in 2025. He also won the Gold Glove for the position in 2023 and has one of the better arms behind the dish.
Gurriel Jr. has found success with the Diamondbacks as well, as he slashed .279/.322/.435 with 18 home runs in 553 plate appearances for a 108 wRC+ in 2024. Moreover, Gurriel Jr.’s 2.1 fWAR is a career best. Unfortunately, Gurriel Jr. suffered a knee injury late in the 2025 season.
While the trade worked out in the season following the move, it took a little bit of time to pay dividends for the Jays. Varsho had an unspectacular season in 2023, slashing .220/.285/.389 with 20 home runs in 581 plate appearances for a 84 wRC+ and 1.9 fWAR.
If the 2024 season didn’t make this trade a win for the Blue Jays, the 2025 season sure did. Varsho only played in 71 games and received 271 plate appearances due to the aforementioned shoulder injury and hamstring injury, but he hit an incredible 20 home runs for a 123 wRC+ and 2.2 fWAR. Despite playing just 550.1 innings in centre field, Varsho amassed 10 Defensive Runs Saved and 9 Outs Above Average. That ranked in the top 15 for DRS and top 10 for OAA.
Like the Diamondbacks, the Blue Jays also won the pennant, with Varsho being a big reason why they were able to get past the New York Yankees in the American League Divisional Series.