Myles Straw was one of several Blue Jays who exceeded expectations in 2025, but his time in Toronto may now be running out.
The Blue Jays’ decision to acquire Straw from the Cleveland Guardians ahead of the 2025 season was met with little enthusiasm. He appeared to be a salary dump in exchange for extra international bonus pool money the Blue Jays intended to spend on Roki Sasaki, which backfired when he chose to join the Los Angeles Dodgers. The front office seemed to have taken on a bad contract for nothing.
Straw then miraculously accrued 1.8 fWAR this past season after spending the majority of 2024 in the minor leagues. He put up a slightly below-average 91 wRC+ at the plate, but graded as a superb defender in the outfield with seven outs above average. He also made himself useful on the basepaths with 12 steals.
However, where Straw really earned his $6 million salary was in the clubhouse. His teammates raved about his steady presence and leadership on a team that thrived on its chemistry.
Myles Straw reflects on a memorable Blue Jays season 💙 pic.twitter.com/Mo3gXlEH8B
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 8, 2025
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Straw is set to make $7 million in 2026, then has club options worth $8 and $8.5 million for 2027 and 2028, respectively, even with the Guardians covering $1 million of each year. Unfortunately, it’s hard to see the Blue Jays exercising them at that price, especially with their current wealth of outfield options and because Cleveland is also on the hook for his $1.75 million buyout following the 2026 season.
Daulton Varsho, Anthony Santander, Addison Barger, Nathan Lukes, and Davis Schneider all will likely see time in the outfield in 2026. Joey Loperfido has also demonstrated his ability to produce at the major league level. While none of these players — except Varsho — play defense as well as Straw, they all hit better than he does. The younger names on the list are also much cheaper than his.
This logjam could get even more complicated if the Blue Jays land Straw’s close friend, Kyle Tucker, this offseason. Adding him would presumably mean Barger playing third base full-time, but even then, Straw would likely be relegated to a late-inning defensive substitution role.
Varsho departing as a free agent after 2026 is the one scenario that could change things. If the Blue Jays decide they don’t want to pay Varsho what he is going to cost, they could exercise Straw’s option for 2027 and let him take over. This swap would be a massive offensive downgrade, but wouldn’t represent a huge drop-off defensively.
Ultimately, the most likely outcome is the Blue Jays moving on from Straw after 2026 — and it will no doubt be a tough goodbye.
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