Blue Jays decline Myles Straw’s 2027 club option making him a free agent
Photo credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
Nov 2, 2026, 17:32 EST
The Toronto Blue Jays have made their first move of the offseason.
On Monday night, the Blue Jays announced they declined Myles Straw’s $8-million club option for the 2027 campaign and will instead choose the $1.75-million buyout option that will be charged to the Cleveland Guardians.
Through 147 games with the Blue Jays during the 2026 campaign, Straw batted .241 with three home runs and 26 RBIs. Straw reached base at a .304 clip and stole seven bases in nine attempts.
In the outfield, Straw turned in a perfect fielding percentage, two Defensive Runs Saved, four Outs Above Replacement, and a Fielding Run Value of three. While it was a strong year for Straw defensively, all three of his advanced stats dropped off from the 2025 season.
Straw’s 2026 season was a step back from his first year with the Blue Jays, as in 2025 he batted .262 with four home runs, 32 RBIs, and a .313 on-base percentage. Straw appeared in 18 playoff games during the Blue Jays’ World Series run but received only 18 at-bats as he was mostly used as a defensive replacement.
After getting off to a strong start early in the season, Straw’s bat slumped through the summer, highlighted by a .200 average in May, a .217 average in June, and a .162 average in July. Following the trade of Daulton Varsho, which thrust Straw into an almost everyday role, he turned in a slash line of .277/.348/.387 with 11 doubles across 134 plate appearances.
Originally acquired by the Blue Jays on January 17, 2025, alongside international bonus pool space, Straw ended up appearing in 283 games with Toronto over the past two seasons. During that span, the 32-year-old batted .251 with seven home runs and 58 RBIs.
The decision not to pick up Straw’s option makes him a free agent, sending a beloved member of the Blue Jays’ clubhouse to the open market. While a return to Toronto on a cheaper deal isn’t out of the equation, the Blue Jays’ offence needs to get better in 2027 after finishing with the fewest runs and home runs across Major League Baseball, so bringing back Straw might not make a ton of sense with Brett Bateman, Addison Barger, Nathan Lukes, and Anthony Santander already in the fold.
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