Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Myles Straw has been the most surprising offseason addition for his team so far this season, and he may also be the best. Acquired on January 17th from the Cleveland Guardians along with international bonus pool money for cash considerations (Cleveland agreed to send Toronto $3.75 million over the next two seasons to cover Straw’s salary partially), and a player to be named, the move was widely criticized as a desperate attempt to land Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki.
At the time, the Jays were among the final two teams the phenom Sasaki was considering, and the $2 million of additional bonus pool funds were seen as the upside of taking on Straw’s considerable (five years, $25 million, expiring in 2026) contract.