Myles Straw acquired by Blue Jays

TORONTO — Early Friday, the Blue Jays swung a take care of the Guardians so as to add one other $2 million in worldwide bonus pool house, setting the stage for what felt like the ultimate push for Japanese star Roki Sasaki. Then got here the heartbreak.

Within the deal, the Blue Jays took on outfielder Myles Straw, who regardless of spending most of final yr in Triple-A is owed $13.8 million over the following two seasons with a buyout of $1.75 million ready in 2027. The Blue Jays can even ship the Guardians a participant to be named or money.

It felt like an aggressive transfer from the Blue Jays when it was introduced at 11:30 a.m. ET, however why not be aggressive with such a prize sitting in entrance of you? Toronto entered the 2025 worldwide signing interval with a pool of $6,261,600, over a million {dollars} greater than the Dodgers at $5,146,200. By including to that pool, the Blue Jays had been positioning themselves as greatest they may, however ultimately, it wasn’t all concerning the cash. Sasaki introduced Friday night that he was signing with the Dodgers, leaving the Blue Jays standing on the doorstep holding one other silver medal.

Blue Jays get: Worldwide bonus pool cash, OF Myles Straw, money
Guardians get: Money issues or a participant to be named later

Now, the Blue Jays are left to have a look at this new actuality. There’s no Roki Sasaki, no press convention, no celebration, however the commerce nonetheless stands. The Guardians are sending $3.75 million to the Blue Jays within the deal, too, paid out in installments of $1 million this yr, $1 million subsequent yr and $1.75 million on the finish of subsequent yr, a supply informed MLB.com. Which means that they’re taking over simply over $10 million of Straw’s wage the following two years, earlier than his 2027 membership choice and buyout.

Straw is, at first, a gifted defender. Whereas his 2023 information paints him as merely an above-average defender, he was top-of-the-line outfielders in baseball in ‘22, good for a +15 fielding runs worth. The one outfielder rated greater that season? Daulton Varsho.

That’s becoming, as Straw’s likeliest position with the Blue Jays now could be filling in for Varsho to open the marketing campaign. Varsho underwent shoulder surgical procedure late within the 2024 season, and if he’s not prepared for Opening Day, it’s lengthy made sense for the Blue Jays so as to add a veteran, glove-first participant who can deal with the place alongside the youthful Joey Loperfido or Jonatan Clase.

There’s a purpose Straw was in Triple-A final season, although, after he hit simply .238 with a .597 OPS within the massive leagues the yr prior. Final season, the playoff-bound Guardians gave him simply 4 at-bats.

This clearly has not performed out how anybody deliberate, however the Blue Jays are being pressured to pivot as soon as once more. They’ll now be capable to use that out there worldwide signing bonus pool cash to signal all the younger gamers they’d deliberate on, plus whichever others turn out to be out there. Regulate any worldwide prospects the Dodgers are actually unable to signal, and the Blue Jays may subsequently carry a few of this bonus pool by way of the yr to make use of later.

That might profit the group down the road, however within the meantime, they’re left to work round a commerce they made with a much bigger imaginative and prescient in thoughts that by no means got here to be actuality.