Dylan Cease Reportedly Agrees to $210M Blue Jays Contract, Updated Payroll, Rotation

After a disappointing showing with the San Diego Padres in 2025, starting pitcher Dylan Cease is hoping that a change in scenery will help him get back on track.

According to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, Cease agreed to a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday following his two-year tenure with the Padres.

Mitch Bannon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the deal included deferrals:

With the team already staring at a projected payroll of $233 million, per FanGraphs, this deal underlines the organization's short-term ambitions. The starting rotation now has four pitchers making $16 million or more, and Cease might be an insurance policy with ace Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber heading for free agency in 2027.

Blue Jays Starting Rotation

• Kevin Gausman
• Dylan Cease
• Trey Yesavage
• José Berríos
• Shane Bieber

Cease was traded to San Diego from the Chicago White Sox ahead of the 2024 season. The deal initially looked like a great move for the Padres, as he threw the second no-hitter in franchise history and finished his first year with a 14-11 record, a 3.47 ERA and 224 strikeouts in 33 starts.

However, Cease struggled to live up to the success of his first year this past season. He made 32 starts in 2025 and posted an 8-12 record with a 4.55 ERA and 215 strikeouts. He started Game 2 of San Diego's National League Wild Card Series against the Chicago Cubs and pitched 3.2 shutout innings in a 3-0 win, but the Padres were eliminated from the postseason with a loss in Game 3.

In his seven MLB seasons, Cease has a 3.88 career ERA and 1,231 strikeouts. If he gets back to his usual form, he can be a strong addition for a Blue Jays squad that won an American League pennant in 2025.

Toronto will be hoping that Cease will be a complementary starter next to Gausman as it tries to compete for a playoff spot again next season and beyond.