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TORONTO -- The Roki Sasaki decision is going to stick to the Blue Jays.

Had they played this like the Padres -- or any other number of the suitors for Sasaki -- it would be easier to soften the narrative, lumping the Blue Jays into the blob of teams that simply missed. That¡¯s not how it happened, though.

Toronto made a big, aggressive move earlier Friday to acquire another $2 million in international pool space from the Guardians, taking on Myles Straw and his contract to make the deal work. This was hours before Sasaki¡¯s decision came down. The Dodgers, meanwhile, stood quietly and confidently, only making their own move to add more pool space once they¡¯d learned that Sasaki would be joining their juggernaut.

The Blue Jays must now feel like they stepped on the banana peel. Beyond the Dodgers, the Guardians are the biggest winner in all of this for cashing in on Toronto's eagerness. Not only did the Blue Jays miss out on Sasaki, they spent millions to do it.

Moments like this -- and Shohei Ohtani¡¯s decision a year ago -- have cracked the Blue Jays open for a clear look. Here¡¯s what we see now:

1. The aftermath of the trade

The trade for Straw and more international bonus pool money seemed to signal that the Blue Jays expected to sign Sasaki. They were the first club to make such a move, building on a bonus pool that was already more than $1 million richer than the Dodgers¡¯. That¡¯s what makes all of this so bizarre.

Here are the basics: Straw is owed $13.8 million over the next two seasons, with a buyout of $1.75 million waiting in 2027. The Guardians are sending $3.75 million to the Blue Jays in the deal, too, paid out in installments of $1 million this year, $1 million next year and $1.75 million at the end of next year, a source told MLB.com.

Translation: The Guardians are taking care of that buyout two years down the road, leaving the Blue Jays on the hook for $11.8 million of Straw¡¯s contract for the next two seasons. The player to be named later or cash Toronto is sending the other way will tip the scales of this deal, too, but these are the basics for now.

Straw could easily crack the Opening Day roster if Daulton Varsho needs more time to fully recover from his right shoulder surgery last September, but remember, the Guardians paid Straw to play in Triple-A last season. He¡¯s a gifted defender, but simply hasn¡¯t hit enough. There¡¯s a reason that getting out from under Straw¡¯s salary was Cleveland's priority in this deal.

2. More oxygen for the narratives

The Blue Jays¡¯ signings of George Springer, Kevin Gausman and Hyun Jin Ryu are drifting further away. First it was Ohtani, then Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes and now Sasaki. Toronto been painted as baseball¡¯s great runner-up, and moments like this do nothing to dismiss the idea, especially with it caught so blatantly in the spotlight here.

The word ¡°finalists¡± is beginning to haunt Blue Jays fans. In pursuits like Ohtani¡¯s and Sasaki¡¯s, the finalists matter -- given the scale of it all. Otherwise, that¡¯s a mostly empty word, its only value being to upset the fan base that missed out on a player. In most free-agent pursuits, there is simply the team that signs the player and everyone else. Being close doesn¡¯t matter. Projecting a player¡¯s value as $90 million but refusing to go to $100 million doesn¡¯t matter. You sign the player or you don¡¯t.

Toronto took a step toward changing this narrative on Sunday, agreeing to a five-year deal with free-agent slugger Anthony Santander, per a source.

3. It all comes back to Vladdy

It always does.

The Blue Jays have been desperate to get a star to come to Toronto, one who can raise the organization¡¯s profile and extend their competitive window beyond the next couple of seasons. With their pursuits of Ohtani and Soto, they have proven that the word ¡°budget¡± carries different definitions for different players.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is standing right in front of them. This is a homegrown star who has embraced Toronto, who wants to play in Canada long-term and who understands the value of legacy. He¡¯s beloved by fans, too. That matters. Amid all of the calculations and projections, that still matters.

Everything needs to happen within reason, of course, but Guerrero is standing right in front of them. If the two sides can get their numbers within a hundred miles of one another, extending Guerrero feels like the one way this front office can change the wind¡¯s direction.