TORONTO -- The Blue Jays have declined their $8 million club option on outfielder Myles Straw, the first necessary decision as the offseason officially begins and free agency opens.
Straw’s deal included a $1.75 million buyout, which will be covered by the cash considerations sent over from the Guardians in the deal prior to the 2025 season.
Straw’s news headlined a flurry of roster moves for the Blue Jays Monday, as they set their 40-man roster for the offseason by reinstating all players from the 60-day IL. That group includes: right-handers José Berríos, Jake Bloss, Bowden Francis and Cody Ponce; outfielders Jonatan Clase and OF Anthony Santander and right fielder Addison Barger. Additionally, right-hander CJ Van Eyk cleared waivers and was assigned to Triple-A, clearing a 40-man spot.
Of that group, Berríos and Francis, both recovering from Tommy John surgery, still have plenty of rehab in front of them and can be placed back on the 60-day IL in spring when camps officially begin. It’s also possible that Barger (right elbow surgery) could need additional time, but all others are expected to be healthy for 2027.
When the Blue Jays first acquired Straw, it felt like he represented more of a financial move than a baseball one. He was coming off a season in which he’d spent much of the year in Triple-A for the Guardians, and he was still owed $13.8 million across 2025-26. The Blue Jays' primary motivation in that deal was to add international pool money to bolster their pursuit of Japanese righty Roki Sasaki. That pursuit failed, but Toronto came away with someone important in Straw.
After entering that 2025 Spring Training, taking batting practice and fielding drills with the Triple-A groups -- not the big-league outfielders like George Springer and Dalton Varsho -- Straw forced his way onto the roster and earned a crucial role with this organization. Varsho appeared in 283 games across his two seasons, batting .251 with a .662 OPS while often impacting the game with his defense and speed on the bases.
Straw’s value was most evident in the clubhouse, where he was praised by coaches and fellow players for the value he brought as a teammate. He was often the first Blue Jays player to attach himself to a new teammate coming through the doors, too, whether that was a top prospect coming up from Triple-A or Kazuma Okamoto, with whom he became fast friends after the latter came over from Japan.
Free agency is only in its infancy, and there’s plenty of offseason ahead of us, but Toronto will certainly need to address its outfield in some manner. The emergence of Brett Bateman was one of the stories of 2026, and it surely had an impact on this decision regarding Straw, but the Blue Jays will be without Varsho and Springer, who were pieces of this roster’s core. If Barger needs more time and begins the season on the IL, too, that group thins out quickly, with Nathan Lukes, Yohendrick Piñango, Davis Schneider, Santander and Clase rounding out their 40-man options.
Seiya Suzuki is one of the top free agents available and is a clear, obvious fit for this organization, which would feel similar to the Springer addition from six years ago. This roster needs to add another offensive star -- ideally in the outfield -- but there’s still room for depth tinkering, as well.
While it didn’t come on the $8 million team option, there could still be a path back to the Blue Jays for Straw, who has strong feelings for the organization and left an excellent impression on all of the right people.