What will make the signing of Dylan Cease a successful one for the Toronto Blue Jays?
The Toronto Blue Jays have already been one of the most active teams this winter and have made one of the biggest splashes in free agency as well.
Coming off winning the American League Championship Series, expectations have changed for the Blue Jays, and this winter, they will be focused on improving. Even though they came within inches of winning the World Series, this is a team that is going to be aggressive going forward.
Toronto is capable of spending money on top free agents and now has the ability to present those players with a chance to compete. While the team will undoubtedly be trying to bring back their star shortstop, Bo Bichette, they didn’t waste their time trying to improve other areas.
With a need for help in the starting rotation, Toronto signed one of the best pitchers available in Dylan Cease to a seven-year deal worth north of $200 million. This contract has been talked about quite a bit, with it setting the pitcher market extremely high. However, while there are some pros and cons for the deal, one thing in particular would make it a success.
Cease Signing Will Be Worth It If Blue Jays Win
With Cease being 30 years old, there is obviously some concern about how effective he will be toward the end of the deal. The right-hander is capable of being a great pitcher with some elite swing and miss stuff, but he also lacks control, which has resulted in some of the inconsistencies.
In 2025, he totaled an 8-12 record and 4.55 ERA. As shown by the high ERA, it was surprising that he received the massive deal that he did. However, he was excellent in 2024 with an ERA of 3.47. What makes Cease elite is his strikeout stuff, and the Blue Jays will be relying on him to get batters out in big spots.
While this contract might not age well, it won’t matter if Cease is the missing piece for the Blue Jays to win a World Series. After seeing the amazing rotation of the Dodgers, Toronto is clearly trying to be able to go head-to-head with them in a series next year. With the addition of Cease, the unit looks far better, especially with Shane Bieber back.
Even though it might not be an excellent signing in terms of value for the Blue Jays, this is a team that is clearly all-in to win right now. If Cease ends up helping them win a championship, it will be worth every dollar.
