WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Joey Loperfido was in tears when he found out the Astros, who drafted him in the seventh round out of Duke University in 2021, were dealing him to the Blue Jays at the Trade Deadline in 2024. Loperfido and fellow prospects Jake Bloss and Will Wagner -- son of Astros Hall of Fame closer Billy Wagner -- were sent to Toronto for pitcher Yusei Kikuchi in a deal that broke the hearts of Houston fans.
Loperfido was a popular player in the clubhouse and with the fans, so the trade was initially met with criticism, though Kikuchi pitched extremely well down the stretch for the Astros and helped them reach the postseason. Loperfido figures to be all smiles when he returns to the Astros, who completed a trade with the Blue Jays on Friday to reacquire Loperfido and send outfielder Jesús Sánchez to Toronto.
“Well, I'm not crying yet, but I don't know,” Loperfido said Friday from Blue Jays camp in Dunedin, Fla.
The Astros believe they’re getting a player whose best years are ahead of him with five years of club control remaining. Loperfido can play all three outfield spots and gives Houston someone who can start against right-handed pitching or come off the bench against lefties to pinch-hit or run.
“We felt like Joey Loperfido, his bat’s going in the right direction,” Astros general manager Dana Brown said. “We’ve got five years of control. He’s a really good defensive player and the makeup is pretty special. He can play all three outfield positions. … Joey is one of those dynamic personalities and we feel he definitely has some upside left. We’re excited to have him back in this organization, and we’re not done yet.”
The Astros are still trying to deal infielder Isaac Paredes to help clear up their crowded infield picture, with hopes of acquiring another left-handed bat. Friday's trade frees up the $6.8 million Sánchez was scheduled to make this year.
“I won’t get into any specifics, but we’re definitely having a lot of conversations, and we’re still focused on left-handed bats,” Brown said.
Loperfido got a text message Thursday night from Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins asking him to return his call, so he figured he was being traded. Heading back to Houston was the best news possible.
"It's a familiar place,” Loperfido said. “I still know a ton of guys in that clubhouse and keep in touch with them pretty regularly. And staff-wise, I feel like I know a lot of the guys that were there when I was playing there in 2024, so if I had to go anywhere, I would say it's gonna be awesome to go back there. Loved playing there. Great fan base, obviously, and a great team.”
Loperfido split time last year between Triple-A Buffalo and the Blue Jays, hitting .333 (32-for-96) with four homers and a .879 OPS in 41 games with Toronto. He had one at-bat for the Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series against the Mariners. He slashed .264/.341/.401 with seven homers, 44 RBIs and 11 steals in 91 games for Buffalo.
“I feel like I'm definitely trending in the right direction,” he said. “I felt that way at the end of the year last year and tried to build on it in the offseason. So excited to have some more opportunities to show that in Houston.”
The Astros will thrust Loperfido into their jumbled outfield mix, which includes Zach Cole, Jake Meyers, Cam Smith and Taylor Trammell. Loperfido, like Cole, is a left-handed bat who can play all three outfield spots. Meyers returns as the starter in center, and Smith is competing for the starting job in right field, though he will get some reps in center this spring.
“We’re excited about what this kid can do on the baseball field,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “What excites me more is he’s trending in the right direction. Offensively, he made some changes last year where the strikeout rate went down 10 percent, hitting the ball hard. He’s staying in the zone. He’s a pretty dynamic defender, too, and can play some center field. You immediately think about that play he made against Minnesota. It was a huge play at the time. He brings a lot of good things to the table and we’re excited to have him back.”
The Astros acquired Sánchez at the 2025 Trade Deadline from the Marlins, but he struggled in Houston. He slashed .199/.269/.342 with four homers in 48 games with the Astros, snapping an 0-for-27 drought with five hits against Baltimore on Aug. 21.