"The Blue Jays had to balance that with the reality that their pitching staff needed reinforcements. Judging by the Blue Jays' signings of Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce, it appears the club is heading in a different direction. The best part about this maneuvering is that the Blue Jays appear to be increasing the upside while maintaining the cost. Sounds like a smart allocation of resources."
"Ponce is coming over on a $10 million salary for 2026 while Cease is projected to make roughly $22 million on a heavily-deferred contract. For approximately the same cost as both Scherzer and Bassitt, the Blue Jays are unlocking more upside while maintaining a similar floor of production. In 2025, Bassitt & Scherzer combined to make $35.5 million, and produced 2.8 fWAR."
The Blue Jays concluded 2025 with a successful but ultimately disappointing finish and faced free-agent decisions for key pitchers. Max Scherzer expressed continued desire to chase another World Series ring, while the club pursued younger options. Toronto signed Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce to replace departing veterans, aiming to increase upside without raising overall cost. Combined projected salaries for Cease and Ponce approximate the previous Scherzer/Bassitt payroll, while projected fWAR for the newcomers is notably higher. Cease brings proven elite strikeout rates, youth, and prior Cy Young finishes, and Ponce adds high strikeout potential.
Read at Jays Journal
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