DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Daulton Varsho wants to get back to baseball, like everyone else in this clubhouse, so let’s get the uncomfortable one out of the way before Spring Training games begin.
Varsho is a free agent after 2026. Acquired three seasons ago in a massive deal for top catching prospect Gabriel Moreno, Varsho represented the Blue Jays’ all-in commitment to elite defense, and in the years since, he’s become a vital piece of this team’s identity on the field and off.
It’s almost time for baseball again, but business looms.
“It’s been a blessing for me to be here. I’ve learned a lot about myself. It’s an honor to put on this jersey because you’re playing for a full country,” Varsho said. “Obviously, we’ll see what happens. I’d love to stay here. My family enjoys it, but obviously it’s a business, so you take it with a grain of salt and go enjoy it, have fun, be the best player I can be and help my teammates.”
This feels like the year it could all come together for the 29-year-old. Rehab from shoulder surgery delayed the start of 2025 for him and a hamstring injury got in the way later on, but in just 71 games, Varsho launched 20 home runs with an .832 OPS. Pair that production with his defense over the course of a full season, and you’re talking about back-end MVP votes. It’s easier said than done, but we know all of the individual ingredients are in there.
Varsho does, too. One last time before games begin again, his mind went back to the World Series. That bases-loaded at-bat in the bottom of the ninth -- the one which ended in the play at the plate involving Isiah Kiner-Falefa -- gets to the heart of how Varsho wants to evolve as a hitter.
“I go to that last game. I wish I could have just put that ball up in the air,” Varsho said. “We would have scored the run, and Isiah wouldn’t have gotten all of that stuff that he didn’t really need to answer for,” Varsho said. “At that time, I think everybody was gassed, and I was grinding. I was like, ‘Just put the ball in play and see what happens.’ There are some things I want to be more consistent with, like taking what the pitchers are giving me and always trusting my approach.”
Varsho’s offense is always going to be the most important variable in all of this. He’s a truly elite defender and beloved by teammates and coaches alike, so the bat will determine just how Varsho is viewed around the league. This is where the business side of everything begins to creep in, even if that’s still a conversation for eight months from now.
If Varsho puts up a season like his first two in Toronto, with an OPS near .700, that’s still a very strong, all-around player. If his bat takes the next step, though, and he hits 30-plus home runs for the first time in his career, we’re talking about some drastically different dollar figures next winter. The secret isn’t more talent, more speed or more muscles -- Varsho is stocked with plenty of each -- it’s consistency.
A year ago, Varsho felt like he started making quicker adjustments. Average players can adjust month to month, but the more you can shrink that window, the more productive you’ll be. Varsho feels he’s capable of adjusting week-to-week, but wants to shrink that window to each game and eventually each at-bat.
“That’s what makes people go from really good players to superstars to Hall of Famers,” Varsho said. “It’s about understanding that and knowing that I still have a lot to learn in this game. You can be a 10-year big leaguer and still learn something. I know I can get better with that, and I can help my teammates in the outfield, too. We have another new guy who I think I can help in Jesús [Sánchez].”
There’s no better example for young outfielders to look to than Varsho, both as a defender and a teammate. The Blue Jays still love Varsho for all of the same reasons they did when they acquired him, too, and last spring’s extension for Alejandro Kirk immediately positioned Varsho as the next man in line for a mid-term deal.
That’s for later, though. For now, Varsho just wants to play baseball again. He wants to take one more run at this thing, just like everyone else, and worry about the future when the future comes.