When Myles Straw woke up on a fine January morning, he probably expected it to be just another ordinary day. Maybe a workout, some batting practice, or even a morning with his regular coffee. But what he didn’t expect was to find himself at the center of one of the biggest international baseball storylines of the offseason!
But Steven Kwan had hit him up with the surprising news—he had been traded! “Zero thought about it,” Straw admitted to Sportsnet. “Didn’t come to my head at all.” And he had every reason to be confused. Why was he suddenly a key piece in the Roki Sasaki puzzle?
But as it turns out, the Toronto Blue Jays acquired Straw, cash considerations, and additional international bonus pool space worth $2 million in from Cleveland. The money they had planned to use in their chase of Roki Sasaki. That deal just caught him off guard, but he quickly saw the silver lining.
“I was shocked and pretty excited about it. New beginnings are always nice, especially with this team. I think it’s a fantastic team to be playing for, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” said Myles Straw to Sportsnet. However, while that’s great, there was a problem—the Toronto Blue Jays failed to sign Sasaki. The 22-year-old finally chose the LA Dodgers, and this left Toronto in a pickle. They now had a new outfielder but no stellar pitcher to show for all their efforts. But was the Sasaki deal surprising?
Not really, because they were up against the Dodgers and Padres, two powerhouses with deep pockets and the appeal of the west coast lifestyle. But Toronto chose to go all in and increase their spending power to sway Roki Sasaki to head their way. And they did try their best. The Toronto Blue Jays had spent years building their relationship in the Pacific Rim. They put together a good recruiting team and Sasaki noticed the efforts.
It would surprise you, but Sasaki spent more time with the Toronto Blue Jays than with the Padres and Dodgers. But sometimes, deals don’t work out. Ross Atkins too admitted, “We’re obviously disappointed that we didn’t land the player.” As far as Straw’s $11 million they committed, well, it’s not a bitter deal either. He is showing his mantle now!
Myles Straw making noise with the Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays were surely in an awkward spot with their commitment to Straw. And talks about the gamble quickly spread. However, while the rest can speculate about risks, Straw isn’t dwelling on the chatter about the trade talks. He said, “I try to stay off that as much as possible. It’ll pop up here and there, but at the end of the day, it’s like whatever; it is what it is. Come here, play baseball, and try to prove myself again with a new team.
Adding on, he said, “Control what you can control. Everyone’s always going to say stuff. Every fan base has their thoughts, and it is what it is. I try not to look into that too much.” Instead, he is making a strong impression with his gameplay.
Straw in the spring training hit .474 across nine Grapefruit League games. It was a fine show of his defensive skills, and even manager John Schneider has taken notice. “We all know what he can do in the outfield and on the bases. And I think his at-bats have been pretty consistent. He’s been better than we had hoped in the batter’s box.”
This is a good sign for Straw because while he is not on the 40-man roster, he could keep up and maybe play a key role later. Given the way that Daulton Varsho is still recovering from his shoulder surgery, the Jays might call him up soon.
Sure, he may not be a franchise-changing player, but Straw has a chance to prove his worth in this trade. And his spring training result is a clear indication that he is trying. “You come out here and try to prove yourself. Just having a nice, fun atmosphere makes it all just a little bit easier. So, I’m just enjoying every day.” So he is settling in just fine. We will see what the future holds in store for him.
Do you think the Blue Jays took an unnecessary gamble? Or is it a risk that will pay in the end?
The post Blue Jays Ace Reflects on Shocking Trade With a Blunt Admission on Failed Roki Sasaki Deal’s Ripple Effect appeared first on EssentiallySports.
