Jays Sign Million-Dollar Deal with Pitcher Dylan Cease: MLB Shakes Up the Market

Dylan Cease Signs with the Toronto Blue Jays for $210 Million

Free agent starting pitcher Dylan Cease has agreed to a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays for seven years and $210 million, according to sources close to the negotiation. The deal is pending a physical examination. With this acquisition, the Blue Jays strengthen their team, which has already proven to be formidable. In previous seasons, the team has excelled in the American League and advanced to the World Series. Cease, who will turn 30 next month, has been a consistent pitcher in the last five years, positioning himself among the best in the league.

In five seasons as a full-time starter with the Padres from 2021 to 2025, Dylan Cease led Major League Baseball in strikeouts (1,106), but also in walks (361) and wild pitches (51). The right-handed pitcher has had dominant seasons and others less outstanding. In 2022 and 2024, Cease finished second and fourth in the Cy Young voting, respectively, with a record of 28-19 and an ERA of 2.84. In 2023 and 2025, his record was 15-21 with an ERA of 4.57. Cease utilizes a vertical movement due to his high release, a powerful approach based on the combination of fastballs and breaking pitches (at least 80% fastballs/sliders for both right-handed and left-handed hitters) and a high walk rate at times, along with a high strikeout rate.

His slider, in particular, diminished in effectiveness last season, going from being the most valuable in the game by runs above average in 2024 to opposing hitters batting .374 against it in 2025. However, Cease is coming off of recording a career-high strikeout rate of 29.8% and a fielding independent pitching score of 3.56, a slight improvement compared to his 2021-2024 average.

Those aspects, along with his age and the deficiencies of other available starters, made him one of the most attractive pitchers in free agency. Cease rejected the Padres’ $22.025 million qualifying offer, which expired on November 18. Because he signed with a new team, San Diego will receive a compensatory draft pick after the fourth round. Selected in the sixth round of the 2014 draft by the Chicago Cubs, Cease came to the Chicago White Sox in a trade involving Eloy Jiménez in 2017 and was then acquired by the San Diego Padres in March 2024. In five years as a full-time opener from 2021 to 2025, Cease led in strikeouts (1,106), but also in walks (361) and wild pitches (51).