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Blue Jays linked to potential Daulton Varsho replacement.
There are a handful of MLB teams that had high aspirations heading into the 2026 season, but slow starts have left fans, insiders, and analysts questioning the roster makeup. For the Toronto Blue Jays, as the reigning AL Pennant winners, the Jays perhaps have the highest aspirations.
It’s still far too early to start thinking about which players could shake up the league via trade, but it’s never too early to speculate.
A recent trade idea by Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter features the Blue Jays offloading center fielder Daulton Varsho to the Detroit Tigers for three top prospects.
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Should the Blue Jays Trade Daulton Varsho?
GettyDaulton Varsho rounds the bases against the Tigers.
Again, it’s far too early to blow things up in Toronto. The Blue Jays are 7-10, but seem to be experiencing a big of a hangover effect from last year’s deep playoff run.
Here is the trade package that Reuter proposes, which would send Varsho to the Detroit Tigers:
“To DET: CF Daulton Varsho
To TOR: IF Hao-Yu Lee (Tier 4, No. 7 DET prospect), LHP Jake Miller (Tier 5), OF Jackson Strong (Tier 5)”
Reuter also adds some analysis on the Tigers prospects, and why Varsho could be a fit in Detroit:
“For the Tigers, he would be a clear upgrade to a position that has been something of a revolving door, and even more so now that Parker Meadows is sidelined following arm surgery. Hao-Yu Lee is the centerpiece of the proposed return, and offers a profile similar to Ernie Clement and Davis Schneider as a versatile utility option with offensive upside. Jake Miller logged 104 strikeouts in 87.1 innings while pitching to a 1.85 ERA across three minor league levels last season, while Jackson Strong is a high-floor outfield prospect with on-base ability and a plus glove.”
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Blue Jays Have a Revolving Door of Injuries
If the Blue Jays can’t escape this revolving door of injuries they have endured to start the season, it’s fair to assume, with their massive payroll, that Toronto will be looking to add come the summer months of June and July, but offloading Daulton Varsho just wouldn’t make much sense, given his positional versatility, and production as an underrated hitter.
Since joining the Blue Jays in 2023, Varsho has logged 45 defensive runs saved and has made some of the best plays in center field that you will ever see.
In 2025, he hit 20 home runs with an OPS+ of 121. In his seven-year MLB career, Varsho has 102 home runs and a lifetime OPS of .728, which is pretty much exactly league average.
It’s fair to note that the Detroit Tigers have a need in the outfield, but they might need to try and grab someone else on a team with lower aspirations than the Blue Jays.
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