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Early returns have been promising on the Blue Jays’ free agent signings
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Photo credit: © Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
Ben Wrixon
May 7, 2026, 19:00 EDTUpdated: May 7, 2026, 15:38 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays haven’t played up to expectations so far in 2026, limping out of the gate to a 16-21 record after coming within two outs of a championship last fall. Still, the new guys aren’t to blame for the team’s early struggles—most of them have come exactly as advertised. 
Here’s how Toronto’s free agent acquisitions have fared thus far.

Dylan Cease

Cease joined the Blue Jays on the richest contract in franchise history—a seven-year, $210-million megadeal—and has looked like an ace through his first seven starts.
He leads the American League with a ridiculous 13.1 K/9 while owning a 3.05 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. He has struck out 12 batters in a start on two separate occasions. 
It hasn’t all been perfect, though, as walks and long innings have continued to plague Cease as they have for much of his career. He’s not working deep into games with the consistency of other pitchers in his pay range, but he did go seven innings in his last start. 

Kazuma Okamoto

What a difference two weeks make. Okamoto was mired in a dreadful slump for much of April, appearing over-matched in his first taste of MLB pitching. Everything changed when he moved back in the batter’s box. 
Okamoto has crushed seven home runs over his last 13 games with 15 RBIs since adjusting. His OPS is up to .824 on the season. This newfound success at the plate has seemingly freed him up on defence too, as he’s looked more comfortable playing third base every day. 
His 29.9% strikeout rate remains a concern, though. Hitters who swing-and-miss this much are more vulnerable to cold streaks. Still, he’s proven that the power he showed in Japan is absolutely legitimate—a 30-home run campaign is well within reach. 

Tyler Rogers

Rogers took the loss in Tuesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, but outside of that outing at Tropicana Field, the right-hander has been nearly flawless otherwise. 
The funky submariner has recorded a 1.62 ERA and 0.96 WHIP through his first 17 appearances as a Blue Jay, 15 of which have been scoreless outings. His command has been impeccable; he hasn’t walked a batter since issuing a free pass on Opening Day. 
Many of the relievers who got paid this past offseason have been injured or ineffective for their new teams. Rogers has been the opposite, and looks like a slam-dunk signing.

Cody Ponce

The Blue Jays’ only free agent “miss” for 2026 is Ponce, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the third inning of his season debut on March 30th. 
Nobody could have predicted such an unfortunate injury. Ponce had the look of a solid back-end starting pitcher with serious strikeout upside coming off a historically great season in the KBO. Losing him was a devastating blow to the rotation.
The good news is that Ponce should make a full recovery and be ready for next season. His $30-million contract could still wind up being a bargain if he pitches well.

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