Blue Jays Trade Gabriel Moreno, Lourdes Gurriel for Young Outfielder

The Toronto Blue Jays and Arizona Diamondbacks have made a trade. The Diamondbacks are acquiring outfielder Lourdes Gurriel and top catching prospect Gabriel Moreno in exchange for versatile outfielder and catcher Daulton Varsho, Jeff Passan and Bob Nightengale report.

The Toronto Blue Jays and Arizona Diamondbacks have made a trade. The Diamondbacks are acquiring outfielder Lourdes Gurriel and top catching prospect Gabriel Moreno in exchange for versatile outfielder and catcher Daulton Varsho, Jeff Passan and Bob Nightengale report.

So the Toronto #BlueJays will receive outfielder Daulton Varsho from the Arizona #Dbacks for Lourdes Gurriel and Gabriel Moreno

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 23, 2022

The Diamondbacks have had a surplus of young outfield talent and had reportedly intended to trade one of their young outfielders this winter.

The Blue Jays have had a surplus of catching options, with Moreno, Danny Jansen and 2022 All-Star Alejandro Kirk. It appears the two teams found a match.

Vaursho slashed .235/.302/.745 a season ago, while playing 31 games at the catcher position and 114 games in the outfield, where he rated as an excellent defensive player. With Varsho and Kevin Kiermaier now patrolling the outfield with George Springer, the Blue Jays have significantly improved their outfield defense moving into 2023.

Varsho is under club control through 2026.

The Diamondbacks add Gurriel and Moreno. Gurriel slashed .291/.343/.743 over 121 games in 2022. Moreno impressed in his 25 games last season, slashing .319/.356/.733. Moreno is under club control through 2027, and Gurriel is under club control through 2024.

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