Cleveland Guardians center fielder Lane Thomas has been reportedly available for trade all winter.
The team traded a center fielder on Friday, to the Toronto Blue Jays.
No, it wasn’t Thomas, who is the projected starter in the middle of the outfield for the pivotal 2025 campaign.
It was Myles Straw, who was a regular once upon a time and is a former Gold Glove award winner with the Guardians in center field.
“Guardians are sending Myles Straw, international pool $$ and cash to the Blue Jays for a player to be named later,” Guardians insider Zack Meisel wrote on his X account.
Guardians are sending Myles Straw, international pool $$ and cash to the Blue Jays for a player to be named later
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) January 17, 2025
For Cleveland, it might seem like a minor trade.
However, getting rid of Straw’s contract is a net positive.
He is still owed over $14 million for the next two years, and while the Guards will be still paying down a portion of it, the Blue Jays are expected to be on the hook for the majority of the deal.
$14 million over two years is not much these days in MLB, but it’s a fortune for a player who was waived/demoted because he couldn’t be even respectable as a hitter.
Straw offers power and speed, but that’s about it: his career wRC+ is a meager 78, and he spent the majority of the 2024 campaign in Triple-A.
For Toronto, this was all about acquiring international bonus pool money to aid their bid for Roki Sasaki.
They were willing to take on Straw’s deal to add about $2 million to their offer for the Japanese star.
Sasaki has ruled out the San Diego Padres and is currently only considering the Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Those $2 million could come in handy in the race.
As for Cleveland, they create a bit more room financially to potentially invest in the roster.
Stay tuned.
NEXT: Guardians Reveal List Of International Prospects Signing This Week
