Blue Jays โขSecure Dylan Cease on 7-Year, $210 Million Deal
The Toronto Blue Jays haveโ substantially bolstered theirโ pitching rotation, agreeing to a 7-year contract with freeโค agent Dylan Cease. The deal, โfacilitated by the Boras โฃCorporation,โฃ guarantees Cease $210 million, though a portion of the payments willโข be deferred, effectively loweringโค Toronto’s annual taxable value from โ$30 million to approximately $26 million.
this signingโข marksโ the largest free agent contract in Blue Jays history, โsurpassing the previous record ofโค $150 million over โขsix yearsโค given to George Springer.
cease, 29, entersโ free agency following a 2025โฃ season where he posted a 4.55 โขERA. However, his overall performance โremains strong, characterized by a high โขworkload, impressive โขstrikeout numbers, and a diverse pitch arsenal featuring fastballs, sliders, knuckle curves,โข and changeups.
Since making his Major โขLeagueโฃ debutโ in 2019, Cease has demonstrated remarkable durability, โmissing significant time only due to aโ brief COVID-19 related absence in 2021. He made 12 starts in โขthe shortened 2020 season and has made at least 32 starts in every subsequent year.He leads allโฃ Major League pitchers โwith 174 starts โขsince the beginning of the 2020โค season, ranking ninth โคin total innings pitched over that same period.
From 2020-2025, Cease maintained a โข3.88 ERA,โ accompanied by a 9.9% walk โขrate and a strong 28.9% strikeout rate, with a 14.4%โ swing-and-miss rate. While his ERA has increased in recentโฃ seasons (2023 and 2025), his other key metrics have remainedโ consistent.โข He โฃwas recognized as theโ second-best pitcher โin the American League atโฃ the conclusion of โthe 2022 season, finishing with a 2.20 โคERA and narrowlyโค missing the Cy Youngโค Award, whichโข was ultimately awarded to Justinโ Verlander.
Cease willโข join a โBlue Jays starting rotation that already includes Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage,โ Shane Bieber, and Jose Berrios. Eric Lauer, Ricky Tiedemann, and Bowden Francis provide additionalโ depth.