Daulton Varsho was supposed to be one of the names to watch in Houston’s offseason picture, but his year has gone sideways fast.
The Gold Glove outfielder, acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays at the MLB trade deadline, is heading toward free agency with his stock sharply down. CBS Sports’ Matt Snyder summed up the slide bluntly: "He's been worse since the trade to Houston, hitting just .179 with a 53 OPS+ and -0.1 WAR," Snyder writes.
"He wasn't a star, but he looked after last season like stardom might be possible. Now he's barely playable."
That’s a rough landing spot for a player entering his age-30 MLB season. Varsho has not just cooled off - he’s cratered.
In 38 games with Houston, he has posted -0.1 bWAR, a 53 OPS+ and a .540 OPS. Before the trade, he logged 99 games with Toronto and produced 0.8 bWAR with a .682 OPS and an 87 OPS+.
Even those Blue Jays numbers were a step back from what he did in 2025, when he turned in a 121 OPS+ season. Instead, 2026 has become a story of regression, with his offense falling well below league average and his defense not matching the level that once helped make him so valuable.
The result is a free-agent market that looks a lot thinner for Varsho than it once did. A major payday appears unlikely now, and the more realistic outcome is a cheaper one-year prove-it deal. What looked like a chance to cash in after a strong 2025 season has turned into a setback that could cost him a substantial contract this winter.
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Loperfidos return gives the Astros another look at a player who has been trending in the right direction in the minors, and the timing matters with an offense still searching for help in the corner outfield. For now, the opening is there, and Houston can see whether the improved version of Loperfido can translate into a useful stretch at the big-league level. [Read more 🡒]