Aug 3, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) delivers during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
San Diego, California – Toronto Blue Jays fans, buckle up—the team has just thrown a massive curveball at the baseball world by locking in ex-Padres ace Dylan Cease to a jaw-dropping seven-year deal worth a cool $210 million, sources tell ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Cease, who will celebrate his 30th birthday soon, instantly rockets to the top of the headlines as one of this offseason’s most coveted starters.
After whiffing on Shohei Ohtani two years ago, the Blue Jays are making sure they don’t get left empty-handed again, splurging big to bolster their rotation. Cease is coming off a season with an 8–12 record and a 4.55 ERA over 168 innings—a stat line that may have raised some eyebrows, but Toronto’s bets are on him returning to his sensational, Cy Young runner-up form.
The Jays, who finished last season at 94–68, stunned fans with a hard-fought World Series run, taking the Dodgers to a dramatic Game 7 showdown before bowing out. Now, with Cease ready to bring the heat, expectations are sky-high for Toronto to make another deep postseason push in 2026—with their new million-dollar man headlining the pitching staff.
