Blue Jays' outfielder Myles Straw's time in Toronto may be running out

The Blue Jays' decision to acquire Straw from the Cleveland Guardians ahead of the 2025 season 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.

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, but is also a prime trade candidate this off season.

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 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.

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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