Toronto Blue Jays cut Myles Straw loose

It's the first day of free agency, and the Toronto Blue Jays have already made a big offseason move.

The team's front office declined outfielder Myles Straw's $8 million club option for the 2027 season on Monday, meaning the former Gold Glove winner will now hit free agency.

Even though the 32-year-old was under contract for two more years, his deal had a team option in 2027 and 2028 that allowed the Blue Jays to decide whether they wanted to keep him or not.

Toronto declined the option.

As part of the deal that brought Straw to Toronto, the Cleveland Guardians will cover his $1.75 million contract buyout, meaning the decision to decline his option won't cost the Blue Jays anything.

Just because the Blue Jays front office declined the option doesn't mean they still can't choose to pursue Straw in free agency.

Sportsnet's Blue Jays insider Ben Nicholson-Smith reported on Monday that there's a chance the two reunite, given Straw's love for playing in Toronto, and the fact the Blue Jays will still need a right-handed bat off the bench.

During his two seasons with the Blue Jays, Straw has become a staple on John Schneider's lineup card. He has played in 283 of 324 games for Toronto over the past two seasons and made appearances in 15 games during the Blue Jays' 2025 World Series run.

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Myles Straw makes a catch against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. (Eric Canha/Imagn Images)

His biggest contribution, though, came defensively.

Straw finished the 2026 season tied for the MLB lead with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage among outfielders, and he previously won a Gold Glove award in the outfield in 2022.

While Toronto could still bring Straw back, the fact they declined the option could signal that the front office has big plans when it comes to who could be in the outfield come 2027.

One name the Blue Jays will reportedly be interested in is Japanese outfielder Seiya Suzuki, who hit 26 home runs last season for the Chicago Cubs.

He would not only add power to a Toronto lineup that struggled to hit home runs last season, but he'd also help address one of the franchise's offseason goals.

The Blue Jays front office has been persistent in wanting to expand the team's presence in Japan, and there's no better way to do that than land one of their biggest stars currently in the major leagues.