Dylan Cease, a right-handed pitcher, is set to join the Toronto Blue Jays under the most lucrative free-agent contract in the team’s history.
The Blue Jays have announced that Cease and the organization have finalized a seven-year agreement valued at $210 million US.
This contract was initially reported last week.
Cease adds to an impressive pitching rotation for the reigning American League champions. He made his major league debut in 2019 with the Chicago White Sox and concluded the previous season with an 8-12 record and a 4.55 earned-run average over 32 starts for the San Diego Padres. He recorded 215 strikeouts (ranking sixth in the majors) and issued 71 walks across 168 innings.
Cease has consistently made at least 32 starts in each of the past five seasons.
However, the final payment from his contract will not be received until 2046, as it contains $64 million in deferred compensation.
He will receive a signing bonus of $23 million on January 15, as outlined in the contract details obtained by The Associated Press.
According to the agreement revealed on Tuesday:
- Cease will earn $22 million in the upcoming year
- $30 million in 2027
- $29 million in 2029
- $28 million in 2029
- $27 million in 2030
- $26 million in 2031
- $25 million in 2032.
Toronto’s deferred payments are scheduled for each November 1 from 2033 to 2046, with $10 million deferred from next year’s salary and $9 million each year for the remainder of the contract. Cease will receive $5 million payments in 2033 and 2034, and $4.5 million annually from 2035 through 2046.
The contract includes a limited no-trade clause, permitting him to block trades to eight specific teams without his agreement.
Cease spent the first five years of his career with the White Sox, including a standout 2022 season where he posted a 14-8 record and a 2.20 ERA, even while leading the majors in walks. He was the runner-up for the AL Cy Young Award.
After one final year in Chicago, he was traded to San Diego in March 2024, finishing that season with a 14-11 record and a 3.47 ERA, achieving a no-hitter and ranking fourth in the National League Cy Young Award voting.
He has also recorded five straight seasons with at least 214 strikeouts, helping to balance out his tendency to walk batters.
As one of the leading free-agent pitchers this offseason, he joins a Blue Jays team that topped the AL East in the last season and reached Game 7 of an exciting World Series before narrowly losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 in 11 innings.
He is expected to be a key starter in a rotation that will likely feature Shane Bieber, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, and Jose Berrios. Chris Bassitt and 41-year-old Max Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner who started Game 7 of the World Series, have both entered free agency.
This agreement surpasses the previous record held by George Springer, who signed a six-year, $150 million deal with Toronto.
Standing six feet two inches tall and weighing 200 pounds, Cease holds a career record of 65-58 with a 3.88 ERA and 1,231 strikeouts over 188 major league starts.
Declined Padres’ qualifying offer
Cease was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the sixth round of the 2014 amateur draft after graduating from Milton High School in Georgia. He was traded to the White Sox in July 2017 as part of a deal that brought left-hander Jose Quintana to the Cubs.
He declined a qualifying offer of $22,025,000 from the Padres, who will now receive an additional draft pick after the fourth round of the amateur draft in July.
As a result, Toronto has forfeited its second- and fifth-highest draft picks, and its international signing bonus pool for 2026 will be reduced by $1 million.
Later on Tuesday, the Blue Jays were reportedly finalizing a three-year, $30 million contract with right-hander Cody Ponce.
The 31-year-old Ponce recently earned MVP accolades in the Korea Baseball Organization while playing for the Hanwha Eagles, finishing the season with a 17-1 record and a 1.89 ERA, including 252 strikeouts across 180 2/3 innings.
Ponce, selected in the second round of the 2015 draft by Milwaukee, has not pitched in the majors since 2021, when he played for Pittsburgh and posted a 7.04 ERA with 36 strikeouts and 11 walks over 38.1 innings.