Negotiations have concluded between the Toronto Blue Jays and unrestricted free-agent right-handed pitcher Dylan Cease, resulting in a seven-year agreement valued at $210 million, as reported by the New York Post. The Blue Jays have yet to formally announce the acquisition; however, upon its official confirmation, this contract will represent the most substantial free-agent commitment undertaken by the organization, surpassing the six-year, $150 million arrangement previously established with George Springer.
Cease, who will be celebrating his 30th birthday next month, is coming off a less-than-stellar performance in the recent season. Across 32 starts for the San Diego Padres, he recorded a 4.55 ERA (94 ERA+) alongside a 3.03 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Nonetheless, evaluations of Cease’s pitching capabilities remained positive, leading CBS Sports to position him as the 11th-best free agent obtainable. Here’s the evaluation that was shared:
Here’s one for the dip buyers. Cease notched his fifth campaign in a row with 32 or more starts but, despite underlying data that bore resemblance to his past efforts, posted the worst full-season ERA+ of his career. Teams may ask themselves: what was going on with his slider? Cease is a two-pitch pony (fastballs and sliders combined for a usage rate over 80%), yet he tinkered with his top breaker, throwing it harder with less depth and sweep. His results were worse, suggesting he should revert. True in one way, true in multiple ways.
Cease’s agreement is equivalently ranked as the seventh-richest free-agent arrangement ever provided to a starting pitcher. He is expected to contribute to a Blue Jays pitching lineup that is currently expected to feature Kevin Gausman, rising prospect Trey Yesavage, José Berríos, and Shane Bieber, the latter of whom chose to exercise his contract option during the offseason.
Toronto secured the American League pennant and AL East title in 2025, narrowly missing out on their first World Series victory since 1993 in a close contest against the Dodgers.
Below are three noteworthy aspects regarding this transaction.
1. Ranks Fourth Among Highest-Valued Contracts for Active Pitchers
Upon formalization of the agreement, Cease will stand among the best-compensated pitchers in the sport, determined by the overall value of the contract. Please note that the summary below excludes Shohei Ohtani, because of his dual role as both a pitcher and a hitter.
- Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto: $325M
- Yankees RHP Gerrit Cole: $324M
- Yankees LHP Max Fried: $218M
- Blue Jays RHP Dylan Cease: $210M
- Diamondbacks RHP Corbin Burnes: $210M
It’s worth highlighting that Cease’s contract does not hold the same position when evaluated according to the average annual compensation. In this metric, he ranks sixth, trailing Zack Wheeler, Jacob deGrom, Blake Snell, Cole, and Burnes, with regard to multi-year contracts. (Seth Lugo surpasses him if single-year arrangements are also considered.)
2. Rationale Behind the Blue Jays’ Preference for Cease Over Valdez, and Others
A pertinent inquiry to consider following this acquisition is: why Cease specifically? Assuming the Blue Jays were resolved to acquire a free-agent starting pitcher, why did they not choose left-handed pitcher Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez, or any of the other unrestricted free-agent possibilities available?
The Blue Jays may never publicly disclose the definitive justification, but a logical deduction would suggest that Cease offers the most impressive pitching skillset in comparison. He has effectively recorded close to 11 strikeouts per nine innings throughout his career, contrasting with Valdez’s 8.9 and Suárez’s 8.3.
Cease’s contribution will additionally broaden the range of skills present within a Blue Jays pitching group, which was positioned 14th across the major leagues regarding strikeout rates. It is almost certain that this placement will change with him joining.
3. Encouraging Indicator for Other Starters
Regardless of the aforementioned item, Valdez and the other available pitchers are likely to welcome the lucrative terms of Cease’s contract.
This is mainly due to the reality that the open market for free agents is typically shaped by previous negotiations. The advisors representing other pitchers are now positioned to suggest that if Cease was awarded such a high amount, then their particular players are worthy of receiving at least equivalent compensation.
It goes without saying that this perspective is not guaranteed to produce equivalent contracts. However, those players and their representatives are more reasonably situated to advocate for their worth now than they were at the start of the current week.
