Report: Jays land Cease on 7-year, $210M deal
The defending American League champions made a huge splash in free agency.
The Toronto Blue Jays and right-hander Dylan Cease agreed to a seven-year, $210-million contract, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
The average annual value of the deal is expected to be around $26 million per year after deferrals, a source told Mitch Bannon of The Athletic.
Cease's reported contract is the largest free-agent pact the Blue Jays have ever given out, surpassing George Springer's six-year, $150-million deal signed in January 2021.
Cease was one of the best starting pitchers available on the open market. He finished fourth in 2024 NL Cy Young voting after placing as the 2022 AL Cy Young runner-up.
The 29-year-old posted an MLB-leading 11.5 K/9 among qualified starters in 2025, marking his fifth straight 200-strikeout campaign. He leads baseball with 1,106 strikeouts over the last five years.
Cease authored a 4.55 ERA with 3.56 FIP over 168 innings (32 starts) this season with the San Diego Padres. The hurler has amassed 20.6 fWAR since 2021.
Toronto's rotation now includes Cease, Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, and José Berríos.
The Padres will receive draft-pick compensation from the Blue Jays because San Diego tagged Cease with a qualifying offer.