The Toronto Blue Jays were just one out away from winning a World Series last month, and it left a sour taste in their collective mouths. They are intent on getting back to the big stage in 2026.
That quest started on Wednesday, when the Blue Jays agreed to a seven-year, $210 million contract with right-handed starter Dylan Cease, one of the biggest prizes in the free-agent market, according to reports from ESPN's Jeff Passen and others.
Here's the story from Blue Jays Roundtable writer Teren Kowatsch.
The signing is interesting because Cease can be overpowering at times, but he's also struggled for long stretches of seasons. He's durable — making at least 32 starts for five seasons in a row — but he's also inconsistent.
During the 2025 season with the San Diego Padres, he was just 8-12 with a 4.55 earned run average. In 10 of his 32 starts, he failed to complete five innings. Even in his one playoff start against the Chicago Cubs, he lasted just 3 2/3 innings, needing 69 pitches to record just 11 outs.
He's had other years where he's been unhittable, though. He was 13-7 in 2021 with the Chicago White Sox, and then 14-8 the following year with a nifty 2.20 ERA. He struggled in 2203 but then went 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA in 2024, his first season with San Diego.