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Joey Lopefido ‘extremely surprised’ by Astros trade, says Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins
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Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Thomas Hall
Feb 13, 2026, 12:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 13, 2026, 11:59 EST
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Friday’s early-spring Joey Loperfido-Jesús Sánchez swap came as a major surprise to many around the sport, including Loperfido.
The 26-year-old first learned that he had been traded to the Houston Astros upon answering a phone call Thursday night, which, as Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins described Friday, came as a complete shock for the young outfielder. He was “extremely surprised” about being traded for the second time in his career.
The first instance, of course, came almost two years ago as part of the Yusei Kikuchi trade in 2024 — a three-for-one deal that also included fellow prospects Jake Bloss (who’ll open this season on the IL while recovering from Tommy John surgery) and Will Wagner (traded to the San Diego Padres last summer for catcher Brandon Valenzuela).
Leaving Toronto is bittersweet, as Loperfido explained Friday shortly after arriving at the organization’s player development complex in Dunedin, Fla. He had planned to prove himself in camp this spring, hoping to earn a roster spot with the big-league club in place of veteran Anthony Santander, who’ll be sidelined for 5-6 months due to left shoulder surgery.
Instead, Loperfido will now return to the franchise that made him a seventh-round selection in 2021, where he spent several years developing before being shipped out as part of an all-in move to land Kikuchi.
The only solace in this emotionally-filled departure is knowing how far he’s come over the last few seasons. He’s a different, more advanced player than when he first arrived following the ’24 trade deadline. Thanks to last season’s magical run to the World Series, he also features valuable exposure from a post-season journey that he’ll cherish “for my whole life.”
Acquiring Lopefido, while shedding Sánchez’s $6.8 million salary, addresses multiple needs for Houston: Most importantly, it drops the organization’s projected competitive balance tax payroll (CBT) further below the initial luxury tax threshold of $244 million, per FanGraphs’ RosterResource; it also provides them with a more traditional option in left field for this season.
Loperfido, after slashing .333/.379/.500 with a whopping 148 wRC+ (100 league average) in 104 plate appearances last season with Toronto, should have a clear pathway to earning regular reps against right-handed pitching in camp. But he’ll likely share left field with Jose Altuve and possibly Yordan Alvarez — assuming the latter stays healthy in 2026.
With Loperfido under club control through 2030, he also serves as a long-term upgrade over Sánchez for the Astros, who are thin on core outfield pieces beyond centre-fielder Jake Myers. If the former Blue Jay can elevate his game to the next level, there’s certainly the potential for him to emerge as an everyday player over the long haul.
But it’s also worth noting that he holds one minor-league option remaining, affording Houston’s brass the flexibility to shuttle him back and forth from Triple-A if needed.
The Blue Jays remain outfield-heavy after swapping out Loperfido with Sánchez, who joins a group that includes Daulton Varsho, Addison Barger, Nathan Lukes and Davis Schneider. As such, management is keeping the door open for additional moves, as Atkins noted, which could involve balancing both the 26- and 40-man rosters a bit more by subtracting from this outfield surplus.
On the position-player side, they could benefit from adding an optionable, bat-first infielder via trade — given the club’s immediate Triple-A depth includes a pair of glove-first middle infielders, Leo Jiménez (out of options) and Josh Kasevich (not on the 40-man roster).

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