The Blue Jays have a tricky $8 million decision waiting on fan favorite Myles Straw.
Toronto sits just 1.5 games out of the AL Wild Card entering September, keeping the season very much alive.
But the offseason questions are already stacking up, and Straw's option is one of the trickier ones.
MLB.com's Mark Feinsand flagged the situation directly. "Straw is a huge presence in Toronto's clubhouse, however, giving the Blue Jays an interesting decision to make on his option."
The option is worth $8 million for his age-32 season.
Straw has posted 0.6 bWAR this season across 245 at-bats, hitting .229 with three home runs, a .632 OPS, and a 74 OPS+.
Those numbers tell a blunt story. He isn't hitting enough to justify the price on offense alone.
Why his defense alone won't settle this decision
His glove remains a real asset, and clubhouse presence matters in ways that don't always show up in a stat line.
But Brett Bateman's emergence in the outfield has added a spark that makes Straw's specific role less essential than it once was.
That's the tension here. A player who's genuinely valued in the room, going up against a spot on the roster that a younger, cheaper option could fill.
Eight million dollars isn't a franchise-altering number either way, which is part of what makes this decision so genuinely close.
If Straw closes out September with even a league-average month at the plate, picking up the option looks like an easy call.
If the offensive struggles continue, Toronto's front office faces a much tougher conversation about paying for defense and clubhouse value alone.
The next month of Straw's own performance may end up deciding this option before the front office ever has to make the call itself.
Should the Blue Jays pick up Myles Straw's $8 million option this offseason?
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