This weekend, the Cleveland Guardians pulled off a jaw-dropping trade.
They agreed to send outfielder Myles Straw, $2 million in international bonus slot money, and $3.75 million to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
No, we don’t know the player coming to Cleveland, and that’s if there is one.
But it hardly matters because the Guardians got rid of Straw’s contract.
Before the 2022 campaign, Cleveland extended Straw on a five-year, $25 million contract.
The deal has been a disaster because Straw is almost unplayable offensively.
He is so bad that Cleveland waived him and outrighted him to Triple-A before the start of the 2024 season.
He spent the vast majority of the year in Columbus.
Analysts think that the Guardians did very well in the trade.
Some even consider it the best trade of the 2024-25 offseason so far, just because they got rid of most of the $14.75 million guaranteed left on Straw’s deal.
“Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff played this perfect. Getting out of that Myles Straw for bonus pool $$ they weren’t going to use is massive for a small-market team. The best trade of the offseason for any team,” BBWAA member and MLB editor at The Score Brandon Wile wrote on X.
Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff played this perfect. Getting out of that Myles Straw for bonus pool $$ they weren't going to use is massive for a small-market team. The best trade of the offseason for any team.
— Brandon Wile (@Brandon_N_Wile) January 17, 2025
The Guardians essentially took advantage of the Blue Jays’ desperation to improve their offer to Roki Sasaki.
In the process, they took on the vast majority of the salary of a player who just posted a 72 wRC+… in Triple-A.
It didn’t seem possible at the end of the season, but Cleveland has managed to free up more than $100 million in two players who didn’t contribute offensively: Andrés Giménez and Straw.
Both players went to the same team: the Blue Jays.
It was a marvelous use of resources by Antonetti and Chernoff.
NEXT: Guardians Voice Named As One Of The Biggest Offseason Winners
