Blue Jays decline outfielder Myles Straw's 2027 club option

Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Myles Straw. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Blue Jays decline outfielder Myles Straw's 2027 club option

By Vanessa Serrao | Last updated Nov 2, 2026 6:26 PM ET

The wait is finally over. The Toronto Blue Jays have not picked up outfielder Myles Straw's 2027 option worth $8 million and he officially becomes a free agent.

He will receive a $1.75 million buyout, which the Cleveland Guardians will cover. In a corresponding move, the Blue Jays have also reinstated Anthony Santander, Addison Barger and Jonatan Clase off the 60-day injured list.

Considering the Blue Jays have a logjam of outfielders, the decision to decline Straw's 2027 option makes sense. As well, they acquired rookie sparkplug Brett Bateman in August, and he's a younger outfielder whose offense was a significant asset to the team late in the season.

Straw provided Gold-Glove caliber defense with a 4 Outs Above Average (OAA) in 2026 that ranked in the 88th percentile. But an $8 million club option for a bench player with mediocre offense isn't exactly justifiable.

News: The #BlueJays have declined Myles Straw's 2027 club option.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) November 2, 2026

Analyzing Myles Straw's 2026 campaign with the Blue Jays

In his career with the Blue Jays, Straw notched a .251 batting average with 141 hits, seven home runs, 58 RBI and 95 runs scored across 283 games. In addition, in his overall career across 846 career games, he has slashed .246/.314/.319 with a low .633 OPS.

However, following the Blue Jays trading Daulton Varsho, Straw, in an expanded role and gaining more playing time, showed more upside with his offense. From Aug. 3 to the end of the 2026 regular season, he hit .277/.348/.387 with 11 doubles across 134 plate appearances. He also recorded a solid 110 wRC+ during his improved stretch.

The 32-year-old will now test the open market, but it doesn't mean that a return to the Blue Jays is totally off the table. Straw provided a warm vibrancy to the Blue Jays clubhouse and his high-energy paired with his elite sprint speed of 29.7 feet per second will certainly be missed by Blue Jays fans.

Vanessa Serrao

Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

More must-reads: