Blue Jays Land Dylan Cease in Monster Deal, Boosting Power

Watch Blue Jays Land Dylan Cease in Monster Deal, Boosting Power - Rizzle on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00Blue Jays land Dylan Cease in monster deal, boosting power.

00:05After a crushing seven-game World Series loss to the Dodgers,

00:08the Toronto Blue Jays wasted no time signaling they're not easing into the offseason.

00:13Their first move was a statement.

00:15A seven-year, $210 million deal for top right-hander Dylan Cease.

00:20That's how you bounce back.

00:21For a team already built around one of baseball's most dangerous offenses,

00:25the move signals a shift toward strengthening the top of the rotation.

00:29Cease, who turns 30 before the new year,

00:32becomes Toronto's number two starter behind Kevin Gaussman,

00:35an instant upgrade for a club that finished 20th in starter ERA last season.

00:40The Jays' no-October success requires more than slugging.

00:44It demands pitchers who can shut down lineups when it counts.

00:47While Cease isn't coming off a stellar year,

00:50an 8-12 record and 4.55 ERA over 32 starts with the Padres,

00:55he still showed elite swing-and-miss ability,

00:57fanning 215 batters in 168 innings.

01:02And when it mattered most,

01:03he performed 3.2 scoreless,

01:06five-strikeout innings in the NL wildcard round versus the Cubs.

01:10Those flashes of dominance suggest his ceiling remains high,

01:14and Toronto is betting on a rebound, not a decline.

01:17The Blue Jays now have a deep, though right-handed,

01:20rotation featuring Gaussman, Cease,

01:23Shane Bieber, and breakout arm Trey Yesovich,

01:27who posted a 3.58 postseason ERA.

01:30Combined with an elite offense that led the league in batting average .265

01:35and ranked third in OPS .761,

01:37Toronto now looks far more balanced for another October run.

01:41The Blue Jays still lack a true left-handed starter.

01:45Eric Lauer is an internal option but fits better in the bullpen,

01:48so the team may pursue a southpaw.

01:50Frambois Valdez and Ranger Suarez are possible targets,

01:54though likely expensive,

01:55making a trade more realistic than another big free agent move.

01:59Still, by adding Dylan Cease,

02:01Toronto has signaled urgency and ambition,

02:04bringing in not just innings,

02:06but a potential missing piece for a deeper 2026 run.