The Toronto Blue Jays are betting big on a bounce-back season from Dylan Cease.
The Blue Jays signed the right-hander to a seven-year, $210 million deal this offseason, despite his uneven 2025 campaign with the San Diego Padres.
It’s a massive commitment for a pitcher who struggled with run prevention last season. Cease allowed four or more runs 10 times – more than twice as many as his eight quality starts. His ERA+ of 94 dipped below league average for the second time in three years.
But Toronto’s front office sees something more than those surface numbers.
“The Blue Jays nonetheless signed him to a seven-year, $210 million deal in free agency, putting more stock in his frontline potential than the uneven results he produced in 2025,” MLB.com’s Thomas Harrigan wrote Tuesday.
The organization’s confidence might be well-placed. FanGraphs projections suggest Cease is due for significant improvement in 2026.
He’s projected for a 3.57 ERA, which would be nearly a full run lower than his 2025 mark (4.55), along with the fourth-most K’s (214) and 10th-most innings (183) of any pitcher.
Those numbers align with what made Cease attractive in the first place. The 30-year-old has never lost his reputation as a durable strikeout artist, even during his down seasons.
The timing couldn’t be more crucial for Toronto. After losing Bo Bichette and missing out on Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger, Cease represents their marquee offseason acquisition.
The Blue Jays’ championship aspirations once again hinge on building a sterling starting rotation. With his salary making him one of the highest-paid pitchers on the staff, Cease will anchor that effort.
Now he just has to prove the investment was worth it.
