Bieber, Straw hope for return to Blue Jays as market beckons
TORONTO — Amid the handfuls of packing packing containers scattered throughout the Toronto Blue Jays clubhouse, some marked for donation, others sure for a particular vacation spot, one sat within the centre of the room with a novel inscription. It learn: “57 … Go away right here for good luck.”
No. 57, after all, belongs to Shane Bieber, who completed the season on the injured checklist with a teres main pressure however was working towards a return for a possible playoff run. The Blue Jays, after all, didn’t qualify and now free company, below the shadow of a coming lockout, looms for the 31-year-old, who’s hoping that his seven-shutout innings in a 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Aug. 20 wasn’t his ultimate outing for the membership.
“It is exhausting each time you concentrate on it,” he mentioned. “I imply, this low season is simply going to be an attention-grabbing one in and of itself, proper, so I do not know what it may maintain. I do not know if groups are going to wish to get issues finished early, or if they are going to wait and see, or if it may be 50-50 and a few groups wish to be aggressive and a few groups wish to wait. I don’t know. I simply know that I’ve lots of good left in entrance of me. And I hope it’s right here.”
Whereas Sunday’s season finale rightly centered on celebrating the anticipated departures of George Springer and Max Scherzer, the pending free-agent checklist for the Blue Jays additionally contains Bieber, Paul Sewald, a veteran reliever who needs to maintain pitching; Jameson Taillon, a veteran starter decided to recuperate from an elbow damage and return to the mound; Yimi Garcia, who’s recovering from thoracic outlet syndrome surgical procedure; and Patrick Corbin and Luis Urias, who each completed the season on the injured checklist, too.
Myles Straw could be part of them on the open market, as properly, because the Blue Jays maintain an $8 million possibility on him for 2027 that may be purchased out for $1.75 million. As a part of the deal that introduced him north, the Cleveland Guardians will ship over the buyout quantity whether or not the choice is exercised or not, so it’s a $6.25-million name, one the outfielder hopes retains him in Toronto.
“I’m listening to nothing,” Straw mentioned when requested if he’s had any indication of what would possibly occur. “It will all work out the way it’s alleged to. I strive not to consider it an excessive amount of proper now. I am positive I’ll right here in a little bit bit. Regardless of the workforce decides to do, I adore it right here and I hope I am again. I’d like to be again. All of us which can be going to be leaving really feel the identical manner. However I get it, it is a enterprise, I have been via quite a bit on this sport. They are going to do no matter they’ve bought to do, which I perceive. We’ll see.”
Bieber and Straw are the likeliest candidates to return, though that can rely upon how the Blue Jays map out their low season alternatives within the weeks forward.
The trade-deadline acquisition of Jose Soriano jump-started their winter by strengthening the rotation base, and on condition that he’s headed to arbitration platforming off a $2.9 million wage, the effectivity there creates extra flexibility for different areas of the roster.
With Soriano, Dylan Stop, Trey Yesavage and Cody Ponce as a place to begin, Bowden Francis, Jake Bloss and Jose Berrios, center to finish of the season, coming back from surgical procedure and legit upper-level beginning prospects in Nolan Perry and Johnny King trending upwards, the Blue Jays don’t face the identical acute bind for starters like they did the previous few winters.
Nonetheless, since they all the time big-game hunt, they’re positive to no less than examine in with Tarik Skubal however they’ve additionally finished a number of work on this yr’s Japanese class, together with starters Kaima Taira and Hiromi Itoh, and third baseman/outfielder Teruaki Sato. Final yr, they signed Kazuma Okamoto and Ponce out of Asia and engaged with Foster Griffin up till Ponce signed as properly, seeing their Pacific Rim efforts begin to bear fruit.
Domestically, the Chicago Cubs outfield duo of Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ are of curiosity and the Blue Jays should type via their inner glut to find out how a lot so as to add. Addison Barger and Anthony Santander, each coming back from main surgical procedures, convey energy potential together with a measure of unknown, whereas Brett Bateman impressed sufficient throughout his two-month stint because the centre-fielder that supervisor John Schneider mentioned “he is positively a part of the puzzle” subsequent yr, however “there is a handful of men you simply pencil in, slam dunk — I do not wish to put him in that class simply but.”
All of which opens doorways for Bieber and Straw.
Bieber was acquired on the deadline final summer time whereas he was nonetheless recovering from reconstructive elbow surgical procedure and posted a 3.57 ERA in seven begins in the course of the common season earlier than 5 mixed-bag appearances in the course of the post-season, highlighted by a World Sequence Recreation 4 gem at Dodgers Stadium, the day after an 18-inning, walk-off loss. He additionally returned on quick relaxation in Recreation 7, when he allowed Will Smith’s decisive homer within the 11th.
Afterwards he exercised a $16 million participant possibility for 2026 somewhat than taking a $4 million buyout and the penalty for his post-season push led to elbow irritation that stored him sidelined till late June. He’d posted back-to-back gems towards the Yankees and Rays in late August when the teres main damage occurred, ending a making an attempt season.
“Oh, man. Ebbs and flows. Ups and downs. Sort of tumultuous, proper?” he mentioned of his yr. “I’m grateful for each time I bought to pitch for these guys and for the group. I want I might have been in a position to do it extra. That is positively one thing I will carry with me for some time. We’ll see what occurs sooner or later. Would like to be again. It was difficult bodily and mentally, however each season that you just’re in a position to play the big-leagues and with a gaggle like this can be a blessing. I all the time attempt to maintain that perspective.”
Straw, in the meantime, was acquired in a Jan. 17, 2025 commerce through which taking up his wage was the fee for the Blue Jays so as to add international-bonus-pool room from Cleveland, used within the in the end unsuccessful try to signal Roki Sasaki. However the 31-year-old revived his profession after being outrighted off the Guardians 40-man roster in 2024, delivering stellar defence and well timed hitting in an almost two-win season, as calculated by Fangraphs in 2025, although he dipped slightly below a win this yr.
“For the reason that day I bought right here, everybody made it tremendous straightforward to return to work on daily basis and to get pleasure from each single day,” he mentioned. “That all the time hasn’t been the case for me. I have been in some robust locations, which is OK, it is a part of it. I’ve loved each single day right here. I consider I went to the appropriate workforce. And I hope I am again, no matter occurs. I will shoot for it.”
With each gamers, discovering the appropriate contract construction would be the problem.
Bieber is bound to need a chance to rebuild his worth and present that his elbow points are behind him, with out surrendering the chance to safe an extended deal ought to he accomplish that, making an incentive-laden pillow deal one method to share threat. In a skinny centre discipline market, whether or not $6.25 million for Straw is the appropriate worth is to be determined and the Blue Jays might all the time decline the choice and let the market dictate his worth earlier than bringing him again.
That’s the enterprise facet to return, after each lived the private facet the previous two seasons.
“I really like the folks, all the group,” mentioned Bieber. “They’ve taken actually excellent care of not simply me, however everyone right here and our households. You hear guys beat that drum fairly a bit and it makes a world of distinction. I respect the way in which that everyone goes about issues right here. I simply assume that they do issues proper.”
Added Straw: “Final yr was the best season I’ve had in skilled baseball. And even this yr, I imply, we fought ’til the top. It was a enjoyable trip. I liked each single particular person on this constructing. It makes it actually satisfying to compete while you really get pleasure from everyone, the coaches, the cooks, the workers, teammates. It provides you one thing to combat for. … I am an enormous Blue Jays fan, all the time will probably be and can all the time have nice issues to say about this place, whether or not I am right here subsequent yr or not.”
