TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays laid some groundwork for a potential Roki Sasaki signing, acquiring international bonus pool room from the Cleveland Guardians on Friday.
According to two industry sources, they’re adding $2 million in space — pushing their total up to $8,261,600. The deal does not mean that Sasaki has made up his mind or that he’s given the Blue Jays any indication of his decision, one source added.
To get the bonus pool room, the Blue Jays are taking back Myles Straw and most of his contract. The outfielder Cleveland was outrighted off the roster last March and is due $6.4 million this season, $7.4 million next year and comes with a club option for $8 million with a $1.75 million buyout in 2027.
Cleveland will cover $3.75 million of that salary, with the Blue Jays responsible for the remaining $11.8 million. That’s a substantial commitment for a player whose lifetime OPS is .625, and while Straw could find his way onto the Blue Jays’ big-league roster, the driving force behind this deal is the international cap space.
Also of note: Straw’s contract will count against the Blue Jays’ competitive balance tax payroll, regardless of whether he’s on Toronto’s 40-man roster. According to FanGraphs’ Roster Resource, the Straw deal pushes the Blue Jays past the first CBT threshold of $241 million to $245 million.
The Blue Jays will also send the Guardians a player to be named or cash.
Elsewhere on the International market, the Padres have started agreeing to terms with prospects, raising questions about their chances of landing Sasaki. Either they believe they’re out of the mix, or they believe they can sign him while also spending on other coveted prospects.
