With Daulton Varsho traded to the Houston Astros at the deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays‘ lineup has an opening in center field to fill over the final two months of the regular season.
Varsho’s departure has opened up a competition between veteran Myles Straw and rookie Brett Bateman. The duo is fighting to lock down the spot not just for the rest of the year, but potentially for the 2027 campaign as well.
Bateman came to the team in the trade that sent right-hander Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs. Infielder Ty Southisene was the more well-known prospect in the swap, but the 24-year-old Bateman has put up multiple solid seasons in the minors.
Straw is playing in the final season of the five-year, $25 million extension he signed with the Cleveland Guardians. It’s his second campaign with the Blue Jays after coming over in a small trade.
Toronto Blue Jays Lineup Update: Rookie Brett Bateman Earning Praise
Bateman hit the ground running in Toronto, smoking a double in his first career at-bat. He reached base three times in his debut against the Philadelphia Phillies. The rookie picked up a pair of hits in an extra-inning loss on Sunday, August 10. Bateman started all three games against the Phillies over the weekend. Manager John Schneider was pleased with the youngster’s performance so far.
“The contact, the speed, the discipline, the defence, all that kind of stuff, I think is a pretty different profile than we’ve had here in a while,” Schneider told reporters, including Mitch Bannon of The Athletic.
Bateman didn’t steal a base against the Phillies, but it’s been a big part of his game as a professional. He stole a career-high 30 bases between two minor-league levels in 2024. Injuries limited him to 94 games at Double-A in 2025, where he picked up 19 steals. Bateman was well on his way to another career-best mark this season, with 20 swipes in 84 games at Triple-A before his promotion.
The glove should also play at the big-league level. FanGraphs graded him as a 50 future value on defense. Bateman has already recorded 1 Defensive Run Saved in his 31.1 innings in center field. He has big shoes to fill in that regard. Varsho won a Gold Glove award with Toronto in 2024. He racked up 63 DRS in his time with the team.
Will the Blue Jays Pick Up Straw’s $8 Million Option?
Straw has two months to prove he’s a worthwhile option in the outfield next season. Toronto holds an $8 million club option on him for 2027. He has an identical team option for the 2028 campaign. The veteran has expressed a desire to stay with the team.
“Hopefully, things go well the next couple months,” Straw said. “I want to be able to come back here next year. However I’ve got to do that, to make someone happy up in the front office to come back, I’ll do that.”
Straw is hitting .218 with three home runs and seven stolen bases across 224 plate appearances. He’s been a positive defender this season, posting 3 DRS while splitting time between all three outfield spots.
Blue Jays Lineup Features Center Field Competition To Close Season