The Blue Jays have a September push in front of them, but the bigger headache may be waiting after the season ends. Toronto is only 1.5 games out of the AL Wild Card, which keeps the door open for a run. Even so, the offseason is already shaping up to be full of difficult calls.
One of the most complicated involves Myles Straw. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com noted that Straw has an $8 million club option, and Toronto has real reason to pause before deciding what to do with it.
“Straw is a huge presence in Toronto's clubhouse, however, giving the Blue Jays an interesting decision to make on his option,” Feinsand writes.
The option is tied to Straw’s age-32 season, and his place on the roster is less certain now with Brett Bateman’s arrival giving the outfield a boost. That makes the Blue Jays’ choice even less straightforward.
Straw’s season has been uneven at the plate. In 245 at-bats, he has produced 0.6 bWAR, three home runs, a .229 batting average, a .632 OPS, and a 74 OPS+.
The glove still matters, and his defense remains a positive. But the offense has been hard to overlook, and it’s fair to wonder whether that balance is enough to justify the price.
Toronto may still decide that keeping him for another year at $8 million is worth it, even if the number itself feels steep. If Straw closes the season with a strong September, the argument gets a lot cleaner.
If the bat stays quiet, though, this becomes one of the Blue Jays’ most interesting front-office calls once the 2026 season is over.
In Other News...
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Blue Jays Make A Telling Pitching Change Before Guardians Series
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The move is also a clear attempt to simplify things for Arrighetti after a difficult start to his Toronto tenure. Acquired in a trade, he has yet to settle in, and the club is hoping the opener setup can ease some of the pressure and help him find a better rhythm while giving the Blue Jays a cleaner path through a lineup that will be tested early. [Read more 🡒]