Free-agent right-hander Cody Ponce is finalizing a three-year agreement with the Blue Jays, sources tell @TheAthletic.
Blue Jays sign Cody Ponce to three-year deal
Photo credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Dec 2, 2025, 19:30 ESTUpdated: Dec 2, 2025, 19:32 EST
The Toronto Blue Jays have signed another pitcher.
Last Wednesday, it was reported that they signed Dylan Cease, with that move becoming official on Tuesday. Well, they made another on Tuesday, signing Cody Ponce to a three-year deal worth $10 million annually, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
Ponce was selected 55th overall in the 2015 draft, but didn’t have much of a big league career. The right-handed pitcher made his big league debut five seasons later with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2020, posting a 3.18 ERA and 6.66 FIP in 17 innings pitched. He made 15 more appearances the following season, authoring a 7.04 ERA and 4.94 FIP in 38.1 innings pitched.
That was Ponce’s final season pitching in North America until 2026. He pitched in Nippon Professional Baseball (Japan) for the 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons, and joined the Hanwha Eagles in the Korean Baseball Organization. If that team sounds familiar, former Blue Jay Hyun Jin Ryu pitches for them.
The 31-year-old had one of the best seasons in league history, finishing with a 1.89 ERA and 2.15 FIP in 180.2 innings pitched, along with a 36.2 K% and 5.9 BB%. Ponce had an incredible 30.3 K-BB%, and even broke the record for most strikeouts in a nine-inning game (18).
A significant change that has led to success for the right-handed pitcher is improved velocity. In 2020 and 2021, Ponce sat at around 93 mph with his fastball, but he averaged 95.5 mph in Korea and touched even higher. He also has a plus kick changeup, along with a cutter, curveball, and sinker.
It’s unclear what Ponce’s role will be in 2026. As it stands, Cease, Shane Bieber, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, and José Berríos are the five starters projected for the rotation, but who knows if Berríos will be ready or even on the team at the start of next season. Ponce is also capable of pitching out of the bullpen in a long-man type of role, but that’s harder to see with Eric Lauer being on the team.
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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