Following the trades of Aaron Judge and Justin Verlander, it looked to be only a matter of time until Daulton Varsho was moved by Mission Viejo Maulers GM Chris Ferraro. The club struck a deal with the Burlingame Blue Ducks Thursday, acquiring infielder Nolan Jones (Minors) and a 2023 3rd Round Pick (41st Overall) in return for Varsho.
The Guardians sent Nolan Jones to the Rockies this offseason for 21-year-old second base prospect Juan Brito. Considering Brito is already on the 40-man roster and has not played above Single-A, this was a very light return, but Cleveland didn't have room for Jones at the big-league level and Brito's hit-over-power, up-the-middle skill set fits the organization's priorities. Obviously playing in Colorado is preferable to playing in Cleveland, so from a fantasy standpoint, this was an upgrade. Jones didn't play poorly for a 24-year-old returning to Triple-A (122 wRC+) and getting his first taste of the majors (93 wRC+), but he is a corner outfielder who has not shown an ability to hit for the necessary game power to pull off that profile. The 12.5 BB% and 25.8 K% he showed at Triple-A would be excellent marks if it came with 25-plus homer power, but Jones managed 11 home runs in 83 games last season. His 14.5 Barrel% and 49.1 Hard% in the majors suggest he could still get to enough power to occupy the strong side of a platoon. The Rockies will probably give significant playing time to Kris Bryant, Randal Grichuk and Charlie Blackmon to start the season, and when injuries or poor performance strike, Jones could be the next man up.
The addition of the 3rd Round pick, the Maulers now hold five selections in the Top 43 including three in the first round.
Given the uncertainty on Jones, the package for Varsho seems light given the catching-eligible slugger is projected as the second best at his position for 2023 with 339.5 points.
On the strength of 27 homers and 16 steals,Varsho finished as the No. 5 catcher in the RDBL a season ago. Being traded to the Blue Jays should only benefit Varsho's production, as Rogers Centre is a slightly more friendly to hitters compared to Chase Field in Arizona. Given the $21 saving from J.T. Realmuto to Varsho for similar, GM Ryan Walsh took a big step forward in their projections and flexibility for 2023.
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