One year after winning the American League and coming two outs away from winning the World Series, the Toronto Blue Jays missed the postseason entirely this year.
Some stars underperforming and injuries held the Blue Jays back, despite the team taking an aggressive approach in free agency. This offseason is a very important one for the Blue Jays as they look to get back into October in a stacked American League East.
The team has already started making some roster moves as free agency begins, and one of the moves they made was declining Myles Straw's $8 million club option, making him a free agent.
Straw won a Gold Glove Award with the Cleveland Guardians in 2022 as a center fielder. The Blue Jays acquired him in a trade in 2025. In the last two seasons, he has played all three outfield spots, but has spent most of his time in left field and center field.
Offensively, he posted a .662 OPS in the last two seasons. Even though his OPS was not great, he posted a .262 batting average in 2025, proving he could at least be a consistent force getting on base. This year, his batting average and on-base percentage both dropped.
Simply put, he did not play like a player worth $8 million. The Blue Jays gave him a $1.75 million buyout, and adding a quality outfielder will be a huge focus for the team.
There are already reports that they are interested in Seiya Suzuki. He would be a huge upgrade for their outfield.