The Blue Jays have a Myles Straw decision hanging over their offseason, and it could come down to the wire.
Toronto already has plenty of former Guardians fingerprints all over the organization. Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins are running the front office, DeMarlo Hale is in the dugout as associate manager, and the roster includes Ernie Clement, Andrés Giménez, Shane Bieber and Straw. Clement and Giménez have become everyday players in Toronto, while Straw has filled the role of fourth outfielder since arriving.
That role matters, but it doesn’t usually create much buzz. Straw may have a chance to change that now that Toronto has opened center field by trading Daulton Varsho to the Astros.
With Varsho gone, the Blue Jays are effectively holding open tryouts for their 2027 center fielder. Straw has the speed and defense to handle the position, but the bat remains the obvious problem.
He’s also carrying a major financial question mark: an $8.5 million team option for next season as part of the five-year, $25.5 million extension he signed with Cleveland. The Guardians’ front office clearly misread that deal, and Toronto wound up with the contract as part of its push for Roki Sasaki.
Now the Blue Jays have to decide whether to move on from it this offseason or see if Straw can play his way into their 2027 plans. Cleveland, meanwhile, gets to watch from a distance without having to pay the bill.
The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon wrote earlier this week that Toronto’s center fielder of the future could already be in the organization because of a thin free-agent class. Straw told Bannon, “Hopefully, things go well the next couple months,” Straw told Bannon.
“I want to be able to come back here next year. However I’ve got to do that, to make someone happy up in the front office to come back, I’ll do that.”
The numbers don’t make the choice easy. Straw posted a solid showing for Toronto with an 86 OPS+, but his production has dropped this season to a .595 OPS. Even with strong expected numbers and decent plate discipline, it’s hard to justify that price tag for a hitter sitting under .600 OPS.
For Cleveland, the contract became an anchor almost immediately. For Toronto, it may not be as heavy, but it’s still a problem with a real chance of ending before it ever turns into a long-term fit. Straw has an uphill battle if he wants to be part of the Blue Jays’ 2027 picture.
In Other News...
Chase DeLauter Sounds Off On Why Cleveland Keeps Stalling At The Plate
Clevelands offensive frustrations have become impossible to ignore over the last few weeks, and Chase DeLauter put a finger on the problem in plain language. The Guardians have been under .220 with runners in scoring position over their last 17 games, a stretch that has left too many chances sitting on the basepaths and too few runs coming across. DeLauters read is that the approach changes when the moment gets bigger, with hitters pressing and chasing pitches instead of staying simple.
He framed those spots as no different from hitting with the bases empty, where the goal is still just to find a good pitch and take a clean swing. It is a basic answer to a persistent issue, but it also speaks to why the lineup has stalled so often when the pressure rises. Until the Guardians settle back into that easier mindset, the same missed opportunities are likely to keep showing up in the box score. [Read more 🡒]
Jos Ramrez Has Cleveland Facing A Brutal Late-Season Decision
Jos Ramrezs return from hamate bone surgery was supposed to help steady the Guardians down the stretch, but the results have been hard to ignore. Since coming back, he has not provided the kind of impact Cleveland expects from one of its most important players, and the offense has had to keep moving without the usual Ramrez spark.
Now the Guardians are left weighing a difficult late-season call. With the team having held its own in games without him, the question is whether Cleveland is better served giving Ramrez more time to fully recover while also sorting out how Angel Genao fits into the mix. It is the kind of decision that can shape not just the next few weeks, but the way the rest of the lineup settles in around him. [Read more 🡒]