"I think he has a chance to get better." John Schneider is fired up the #BlueJays got Dylan Cease: 📻 LIVE from the #WinterMeetings with @Mike_Ferrin and @JimDuquetteGM 🔗 sxm.app.link/mlbnetworkradio
Blue Jays: News and notes from John Schneider’s interviews
Photo credit: © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Dec 9, 2025, 15:15 ESTUpdated: Dec 9, 2025, 17:03 EST
The annual Winter Meetings are chugging along.
On Tuesday afternoon, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider spoke to the media in several interviews about different topics, including the Blue Jays’ World Series run, the signing of Dylan Cease, and what’s next for the team moving forward.
Starting with Cease, the Blue Jays signed the right-handed pitcher to a seven-year deal worth $210 million in November. It seems like the soon-to-be 30-year-old has a pattern of one good season, then one subpar season. In 2022, he finished as the runner up for the American League Cy Young Award, then posted a 4.98 ERA in 2023. Cease’s first season with the Padres was in 2024, and he finished fourth in National League Cy Young voting, but had a 4.88 ERA last season.
The good news is that Schneider believes that Cease can get better. He’s already a great pitcher, getting a ton of swing and miss with an electric fastball and above average slider. Although he’s always had a strong strikeout rate, Cease has some issues with command and the home run ball.
If those two issues can get under control, the sky is truly the limit for the right-handed pitcher. Which is great for the Blue Jays, because expectations are going to be sky-high entering the 2026 season, with Schneider even saying so himself.
"There were so many awesome performances, so the expectation and the standard there in Toronto is just higher." @BlueJays skipper John Schneider speaks on Toronto's marvelous Postseason run and setting a new standard for the club moving forward. MLB Network x @SageUSAmerica
Depending on what the Blue Jays do the rest of the off-season, those expectations can increase even further. When asked about what areas the team could improve, Schneider noted that they could add another high-leverage reliever and a bat.
There’s been a lot of smoke around Robert Suárez in recent times, and the Blue Jays have been considered the favourites by some to sign Kyle Tucker since the start of free agency. Other options for the relief arm include Taylor Rogers and Pete Fairbanks, while Bo Bichette and Cody Bellinger remain options for the bat.
John Schneider on the #BlueJays' areas they can improve: "Bullpen sticks out a little bit, and probably a bat of some sort." "You feel good about your offense, but adding would be would be nice and I think that's a priority. Adding another high leverage bullpen arm is another."
It’s safe to say that it’s World Series or bust for the Blue Jays. They were just two outs away from winning it all before Miguel Rojas hit a home run. They were inches from winning it in the bottom of the ninth on two separate occasions. The Jays needed just 90 feet with two outs remaining to tie the game in the bottom of the 11th. It’s all still very raw even five weeks after.
No doubt Schneider feels the same way. The Blue Jays skipper noted that “I’ll think about it until the day I leave this earth”, which yeah, makes sense. I listed a handful of plays that went against the Jays, but there are just so many more throughout the series that you can point too.
"I'll think about it until the day I leave this earth." John Schneider on the 2025 World Series.
There were some other pieces of information from Schneider as well, such as Anthony Santander’s shoulder starting to feel normal. As poor as his season was, there’s a strong chance he’ll bounce back next season.
Anthony Santander’s back and shoulder “finally feel normal” Schneider said. “Tony is going to be huge for us.” #BlueJays
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins will have a press conference later on Tuesday, with Dylan Cease also expected to attend.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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