Blue Jays officially ink Korean teenager Seojun Moon

The two players met for the first time on the field at Rogers Centre prior to Wednesday’s contest versus the Boston Red Sox, creating a full-circle moment for the forever-connected duo.

Originally, the Blue Jays had acquired that bonus pool space to continue their pursuit of Japanese free agent Roki Sasaki, who ultimately signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Straw, meanwhile, has worked out better than anyone could’ve hoped in Toronto, posting a 1.7 fWAR over 133 games this season.

What was previously perceived as a huge swing and miss by the organization has since morphed into a major win-win. That’s some pretty tidy work by general manager Ross Atkins and the rest of the front office.

Moon immediately becomes one of the Blue Jays’ top pitching prospects after posting a 2.18 ERA with 93 strikeouts across 66 innings as a high schooler, logging 24 consecutive games without surrendering a home run. The 6-foot-4, 214-pound hurler opted for international free agency rather than entering the KBO draft.

He features a mid-90s fastball capable of touching 95 m.p.h., mixing in his slider (his primary swing-and-miss weapon), curveball and changeup.

The Blue Jays have yet to announce where Moon will begin his professional career in 2026. But he’ll likely start with the organization’s Florida Complex League affiliate, which is coming off its first-ever league championship victory.