#offseason-signings

#offseason-signings

The Blue Jays have completely upgraded their pitching staff from what they had as a starting point last season to what they will have on Opening Day in 2026. Getting Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce were moves that were highly touted, as well as having Shane Bieber exercise his 2026 option. Meantime, the addition of Tyler Rogers to the bullpen address their need to have pitchers who are better at limiting home runs and walks in high leverage situations.

As the new season approaches, the road to Atlantic supremacy, and perhaps the Stanley Cup, still runs through Sunrise. The Panthers have firmly established themselves as Toronto's biggest obstacle to a deep playoff run. While the Leafs made their own offseason adjustments, most notably losing All-Star winger Mitch Marner, it's the Panthers who continue to set the pace, retooling just enough to remain dangerous without compromising the core that brought them back-to-back titles.

One of the biggest names in last year's free agency pool was relief pitcher Tanner Scott. At this point in the season, Scott is now notorious for his late-game blunders and being tied with the MLB-most blown saves (10), but with a four-year, $72 million price tag, there are already plenty of reasons to feel regret. The 31-year-old Scott was coming off a 1.75 ERA campaign in 2024 with an ERA+ of 243, ranking him 143 percent higher than league average.