"Over the past few off-seasons, they had fallen into the narrative of being a bridesmaid but never the bride, coming up short in their pursuits of marquee free agents like Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto and several others. Winning, of course, is often the best medicine for ailments such as that one - which had been grossly exaggerated anyway. After a 20-win increase from 2024, followed by the deepest post-season run in over three decades, the rest of the industry has now been put on notice."
"Nothing impressed Cease more than Toronto's first World Series appearance in 32 years. Granted, he didn't take in much of the post-season after the San Diego Padres were eliminated in the NL wild-card round by the Chicago Cubs. But he did watch Game 7 between the Blue Jays and Dodgers, which reinforced his belief in their make-up as a "championship-calibre team.""
Toronto achieved a 20-win increase from 2024 and reached its deepest post-season run in over three decades, dramatically raising its profile across the league. The organization shifted perceptions that it could not land marquee free agents by aggressively pursuing top talent this winter. The Blue Jays prioritized rotation help and signed Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract, the richest free-agent deal in franchise history. Cease viewed Toronto's World Series appearance and roster makeup as evidence of championship-calibre players and process, reinforcing his decision to join the club.
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