Astros finally trade for lefty outfielder in Daulton Varsho, but pay a steep price

While most of the scuttlebutt around the Houston Astros has been their pursuit of pitching, they have needed a left-handed outfielder for a long time. Unfortunately, it did not seem as though there were a lot of great solutions at this year's trade deadline to solve that problem. In fact, it seemed more likely that Houston would entertain imperfect fixes like George Springer than actually get the profile they needed.

As it turns out, they actually got a rental that fits their needs quite well. Daulton Varsho was identified early on as a decent option for the Astros, but Toronto was sending mixed signals as to their intentions at the deadline. However, with a couple hours to go before the trade deadline, Dana Brown closed the deal on a trade for Varsho, but it is costing Houston Spencer Arrighetti to get it done.

Astros add Daulton Varsho, but losing Spencer Arrighetti to do it feels like a massive overpay

This is a very confusing trade on the Astros' end based on what we know right now. Sure, they added the lefty bat they needed to add in Varsho, but he is a rental outfielder with a .682 OPS this season. Even accounting for his defensive excellence, this is a deal that is hard to justify.

It is particularly concerning that in order to get two months of Varsho, Houston had to give up Arrighetti, a young pitcher that seemed to have real upside and a ton of team control, in order to get him. Given the deals around the league, the price for bats wasn't THAT bad, but now the Astros are even weaker at a position of need than they were before the trade.

In short, if you weren't sure that Brown's job was in jeopardy before know, he is absolutely on the hot seat when you consider this move in combination with the botched Trevor Larnach deal.

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