The Toronto Blue Jays pulled off a trade for Myles Straw in January, sending cash to the Cleveland Guardians for the outfielder.
Straw, who was once an AL Gold Glover for the Guardians in 2023, barely played in the big leagues in 2024 due to his struggles. But heading to the Blue Jays represented a fresh start, and there was also a deeper meaning to it.
When Cleveland GM Chris Antonetti called Straw to let him know about the deal, he added a simple, but powerful line — “You’ll get to be by your mom now.”
Straw’s mother had a stroke in early January before the Jays acquired him, and she resides just an hour away from Toronto’s spring training complex in Dunedin. Straw truly believes everything happened for a reason, especially in this situation.
Via Mitch Bannon of The Athletic:
“When I sit back and think about it all, I always tell myself that I feel like things happen for a reason,” Straw said. “Whether it’s good or bad.”
Straw has made a name for himself with the Blue Jays and locked down a spot on an MLB roster again. He was also able to take care of his mother in the spring due to his new location.
The veteran is hitting .286 in 2025 in 105 at-bats. Although he’s not starting on a regular basis, he has been one of John Schneider’s go-to bench players.
“He’s become a little bit of a group favorite,” Schneider said. “He’s professional. He understands his role, understands what guys should do and he’s not afraid to speak up. He does a lot of stuff behind the scenes. Really good sense of humor, and I think guys really respect that.”
New beginnings and being closer to his mom certainly helped his mindset, and the Blue Jays are undoubtedly happy to have Straw on their side.
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