Report: Jays land KBO MVP Cody Ponce on 3-year, $30M deal
The Toronto Blue Jays and right-hander Cody Ponce are finalizing a three-year, $30-million contract, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN.
Ponce went 17-1 with a 1.89 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 12.6 K/9 across 180 2/3 innings (29 starts) for the Hanwha Eagles en route to being named the 2025 KBO MVP. He also won the award for the top starting pitcher in Korea.
The 31-year-old set a KBO single-game record with 18 strikeouts on May 17. His 252 strikeouts this year were a new single-season mark for the league.
Ponce last pitched in MLB during the 2021 season for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He owns a 5.86 ERA with a 1.54 WHIP and 7.8 K/9 over 55 1/3 innings in the majors.
The Blue Jays have now dished out $240 million for starting pitchers in free agency after landing Dylan Cease in late November.
The Cody Ponce deal is pending a physical and will be for $30 million over three years.
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) December 2, 2025
Blue Jays' rotation options include:
Kevin Gausman
Dylan Cease
Shane Bieber
Trey Yesavage
Jose Berrios
Cody Ponce
Eric Lauer