Blue Jays acquire Varland, France from Twins

The Toronto Blue Jays acquired right-handed pitcher Louis Varland and first baseman Ty France from the Minnesota Twins, the teams announced Thursday.

Left-handed pitcher Kendrys Rojas and outfielder Alan Roden are going to Minnesota in the trade.

Varland owns a 2.02 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 51 appearances this season. The 27-year-old is under team control through 2030.

France is slashing .251/.320/.357 with six home runs, 88 hits, and one stolen base in 2025. The 31-year-old will be a free agent after this campaign. Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said he expects the right-handed hitting France to receive "significant playing time" against southpaws, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.

The Blue Jays also acquired starter Shane Bieber and catcher Brandon Valenzuela on Thursday after already adding reliever Seranthony Domínguez.

Toronto sits first in the American League East. The team snapped a four-game skid Wednesday, defeating the Baltimore Orioles by a score of 9-8.