The Toronto Blue Jays agreed to terms with right-hander Dylan Cease on a seven-year, US$210-million contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday night.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a physical and had not been announced.
The 29-year-old Cease was 8-12 with a 4.55 earned-run average last season with the San Diego Padres. He registered 215 strikeouts over 168 innings pitched.
The six-foot-two, 200-pound Cease has pitched in seven major-league seasons with San Diego and the Chicago White Sox.
He’s a remarkably consistent pitcher, making at least 32 starts in each of his past five seasons and striking out a minimum of 214 hitters in each one of those years.
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Story continues below advertisementHe would join a deep starting rotation that includes former Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber, Kevin Gausman, rookie sensation Trey Yesavage and Jose Berrios.
Bieber was traded to Toronto by the Cleveland Guardians ahead of this past season’s trade deadline. He exercised his player option for 2026 on Nov. 5 rather than test free agency — where he surely would have earned a larger contract — instead opting to stay with the Blue Jays after they reached the World Series, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.
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Although Cease’s arrival would essentially fill the spot vacated by free agent Chris Bassitt, the Blue Jays front office still has more work to do to try and take another run at Major League Baseball’s championship.
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Surefire Hall of Fame pitcher Max Scherzer could potentially return to Toronto for another season after the 41-year-old publicly expressed a desire to try and help the Blue Jays reach the post-season again.
All-star shortstop Bo Bichette is testing free agency after spending the first seven years of his career with the Blue Jays.
He hit .311 in 2025 with 18 home runs and 94 runs batted in before going down with a sprained left knee on Sept. 6. He returned to Toronto’s roster in time for the World Series, moving over to second base in an effort to ease him back into playing.
— with files from The Associated Press
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