"The Toronto Blue Jays got the jump on the winter shopping market when they signed Dylan Cease to a seven-year $210 million contract in early December. By all accounts, Cease was the guy they wanted right from the get go and were maybe willing to pay a little more to bring him north of the border. However, the deal itself, the richest ever handed out to a free agent by the Blue Jays, may be under the microscope after the Detroit Tigers landed Framber Valdez on a three-year $115 million deal."
"The 32-year-old Valdez now gives the Tigers a dynamic 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation as he'll slot in behind Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal. The lefty from the Dominican Republic was regarded as the last "top" free agent on the board. Going into the offseason, Valdez, Cease and Ranger Suárez were looked at as the cream of the crop of the free agent pitching market. Cease went to Toronto, while Suarez landed in Boston on a five year, $130 million deal."
"It took a while for the market to develop for Valdez perhaps for a couple of reasons. One could be his age, as he is two years older than both Suárez and Cease. There was also a lot made about an incident in September in which he appeared to intentionally cross up his catcher in Houston. Valdez threw a hard sinker right at the chest protector of César Salazar, and although both players said it wasn't intentional and made amends quickly, it was an incident that continually popped up as something that was scaring teams away from signing the southpaw."
Dylan Cease signed a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays in early December. The Blue Jays prioritized Cease and were willing to pay a premium. The contract is the largest free-agent deal in Blue Jays history. The Detroit Tigers then signed Framber Valdez to a three-year, $115 million contract, inviting direct comparisons. Valdez will slot behind Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal to give the Tigers a strong 1-2 rotation. Valdez's market slowed due to age and a September incident when a sinker struck catcher César Salazar's chest protector; both players called it unintentional and reconciled. Valdez debuted in 2018 at 24; Cease debuted in 2019 at 23.
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