Myles Straw nearly retired at 29 after spending the season with Triple-A Columbus following outright waivers cleared in March 2024. He preferred focusing on family but felt there was more left in the tank. Straw received a September call-up to Cleveland and was traded to Toronto on Jan. 17 along with cash and international signing pool space. The Blue Jays sought bonus pool space partly for Roki Sasaki, who signed elsewhere. A phone call with hitting coach David Popkins boosted Straw's confidence, he hit .462 in Grapefruit League play, made Toronto's roster and became a regular outfielder.
Around this time last year, Myles Straw was considering retiring from professional baseball at the age of 29. He'd spent the entire season up to that point playing for the triple-A Columbus Clippers, the minor-league affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, after clearing outright waivers in March 2024. If Straw wasn't going to be playing in the major leagues, he'd rather be focusing on his home life.
The deal wasn't really about Straw, as the Blue Jays appeared to be getting that bonus pool space to try and land Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, but the free agent chose the Los Angeles Dodgers instead. Straw, however, saw it as an opportunity to revitalize his career, especially after a phone call with Toronto hitting coach David Popkins shortly after the trade was done.
"I remember him just talking to me and pumping some confidence into me, and we had some good talks then," said Straw, who had a .462 batting average for the Blue Jays in Grapefruit League play. "Getting to spring training and being close to home, that was a good start. "Just kind of getting to know the team and the guys made it enjoyable. I'm thankful that I'm here."
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