As part of the Toronto Blue Jays trade sending center fielder Daulton Varsho to the Houston Astros, the Blue Jays sent cash to Houston.
In exchange for Varsho, who is on an expiring contract paying him $10.75 million in his final season of arbitration, the Blue Jays received starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti.
It was reported at the time that cash considerations were involved in the trade, and now we know how much Toronto sent Houston.
Daulton Varsho Cash Considerations Revealed
According to the Associated Press, Toronto sent the Astros $1,609,626 to cover the remainder of Varsho’s 2026 MLB salary, which will be paid out in two installments over the next two months.
“Toronto is paying Houston $1,609,626 as part of Monday’s deal in which the Astros dealt right-hander Spencer Arrighetti to the Blue Jays. Varsho was owed $3,161,765 from his $10.75 million salary. The Blue Jays will make payments of $804,813 each on Aug. 21 and Sept. 27,” the report stated.
By sending out cash in a trade, the Blue Jays were more likely to get a better return for Varsho, which is likely why they were able to pry away a young, controllable starter in Arrighetti as part of the trade return.
Daulton Varsho’s Blue Jays Run
In parts of four seasons in Toronto, Varsho had a batting line of .226/.292/.417 for an OPS of .709 and an OPS+ of 94, indicating his bat was 6% lower than league average. He also hit 65 home runs and drove in 200 RBIs in 464 games in Toronto, while racking up 12.0 bWAR.
Though he was inconsistent with his bat in Toronto, it didn’t stop the Astros from slotting Varsho in as their cleanup hitter during his first game with Houston, as he batted fourth for the team in his debut for the Astros following the trade.
While Varsho’s bat was never elite, his defense was, as he won the American League Gold Glove Award in center field in 2024 as the AL’s top defensive CF. While Varsho’s defense has dropped off this season at age 30, he should still represent a defensive upgrade for the Astros in center field as they look to make a playoff push this season.
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