ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
The Ain’t No Fang Podcast: Was Daulton Varsho trade a good or bad move?
Dec 27, 2022, 6:18 PM | Updated: Dec 28, 2022, 12:49 pm
When a fourth-place Major League Baseball team trades away its best position player, that is usually not a good sign.
The Arizona Diamondbacks used their surplus of lefty-hitting outfielders to strengthen the catcher position and land a right-handed hitting utility man.
The D-backs on Friday dealt Daulton Varsho to the Toronto Blue Jays for Gabriel Moreno, one of the best catching prospects in baseball, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., a solid veteran.
Yet, trading one of your best players always hurts.
Varsho established himself in 2022, hitting 27 home runs. He was nominated for two separate gold gloves.
The Blue Jays were always a natural fit to be a trade partner.
In a time when good catchers are scarce, Toronto had three of them: Danny Jansen, Alejandro Kirk and Moreno. The one thing they desperately lacked was a left-handed hitter.
Evaluating the success of a trade always takes time. Probably years.
As for right now?
Steve Zinsmeister and Cody Fincher of The Ain’t No Fang, an Arizona Sports podcast, provide their early reactions to the trade that send Varsho from the desert to Canada.