The Toronto Blue Jays have moved.
The Queen City team was looking for Myles Straw, money and international money from the Cleveland Guardians. In return, a player to be named later (or money) will go to Ohio.
There are several elements to dissect here.
The fact of looking for money from the international pool (the figure of $2 million is currently circulating, which is titanic) means that the Blue Jays can offer $2 million more to Roki Sasaki.
The Dodgers, until proven otherwise, are at $5,146,200 and the Blue Jays are at $8,261,600. The Padres, as we have known since this morning, are no longer in the race.
Does this mean the Blue Jays will have Roki Sasaki? Not necessarily. Several Toronto journalists say the pitcher has not yet made his decision.
It may help convince Sasaki, but at worst it gives more money to sign young international prospects, as all clubs do in large numbers every year.
But it is easy to say that the Toronto club is still in the race for Sasaki, who “likes the Blue Jays a lot” according to Tyler Glasnow.
-And the other end of the transaction is Myles Straw who arrives.
Basically, to let international money go to a club that badly needed it, the Guardians asked that Toronto take the contract of Myles Straw, who played in AAA last year because he slowed down so much.
He has $13 million left to receive over two years. The Guardians sent $3.75 million, which means the Blue Jays are left with $9.25 million for a guy in the minors who doesn’t hit, but has a great glove in center field.
Note also that this amount will count on the calculation of the Jays’ luxury tax regardless of whether Straw is on the 40-man roster or not.
He doesn’t fill a need and we don’t even know if he will play in Toronto or elsewhere (like Buffalo, for example) in 2025. Clearly, the $2M international bonus is worth EXPENSIVE in the eyes of the Blue Jays.
If Toronto signs Sasaki, it will be worth it. But otherwise? The Blue Jays will have only freed Cleveland from another too-big-for-nothing contract, after that of Andres Gimenez.
Sasaki is better off landing in Toronto, if the club doesn’t want things to go wrong.
