TORONTO -- Early Friday, the Blue Jays swung a deal with the Guardians to add another $2 million in international bonus pool space, setting the stage for what felt like the final push for Japanese star Roki Sasaki. Then came the heartbreak.

In the deal, the Blue Jays took on outfielder Myles Straw, who despite spending most of last year in Triple-A is owed $13.8 million over the next two seasons with a buyout of $1.75 million waiting in 2027. The Blue Jays will also send the Guardians a player to be named or cash.

It felt like an aggressive move from the Blue Jays when it was announced at 11:30 a.m. ET, but why not be aggressive with such a prize sitting in front of you? Toronto entered the 2025 international signing period with a pool of $6,261,600, over one million dollars more than the Dodgers at $5,146,200. By adding to that pool, the Blue Jays were positioning themselves as best they could, but in the end, it wasn¡¯t all about the money. Sasaki announced Friday evening that he was signing with the Dodgers, leaving the Blue Jays standing on the doorstep holding another silver medal.

TRADE:

Blue Jays get: International bonus pool money, OF Myles Straw, cash
Guardians get: Cash considerations or a player to be named later

Now, the Blue Jays are left to look at this new reality. There¡¯s no Roki Sasaki, no press conference, no celebration, but the trade still stands. 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. This means that they¡¯re taking on just over $10 million of Straw¡¯s salary the next two years, before his 2027 club option and buyout.

Straw is, first and foremost, a gifted defender. While his 2023 data paints him as merely an above-average defender, he was one of the best outfielders in baseball in ¡®22, good for a +15 fielding runs value. The only outfielder rated higher that season? Daulton Varsho.

That¡¯s fitting, as Straw¡¯s likeliest role with the Blue Jays now is filling in for Varsho to open the campaign. Varsho underwent shoulder surgery late in the 2024 season, and if he¡¯s not ready for Opening Day, it¡¯s long made sense for the Blue Jays to add a veteran, glove-first player who can handle the position alongside the younger Joey Loperfido or Jonatan Clase.

There¡¯s a reason Straw was in Triple-A last season, though, after he hit just .238 with a .597 OPS in the big leagues the year prior. Last season, the playoff-bound Guardians gave him just four at-bats.

This clearly has not played out how anyone planned, but the Blue Jays are being forced to pivot once again. They¡¯ll now be able to use that available international signing bonus pool money to sign all of the young players they¡¯d planned on, plus whichever others become available. Keep an eye on any international prospects the Dodgers are now unable to sign, and the Blue Jays could subsequently carry some of this bonus pool through the year to use later.

That could benefit the organization down the line, but in the meantime, they¡¯re left to work around a trade they made with a bigger vision in mind that never came to be reality.