It’s official. Dylan Cease has joined the Toronto Blue Jays.

While reports came out almost a week ago that the Jays and Cease had agreed to a contract, the organization made it official today via a press release. The deal is the largest free agent contract in franchise history, with Cease inking a seven-year pact worth $210 million that reportedly includes some deferred money. The introductory press conference will come at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, slated for sometime next week.

Cease was one of the top arms available this winter, as the right-hander has been one of the best strikeout starters in the league over the past five seasons. Since 2020, he sits first among qualified arms with 1150 strikeouts, just 51 ahead of new teammate Kevin Gausman and ranks seventh in terms of fWAR (20.3), ahead of the likes of Sonny Gray, Max Fried, Luis Castillo, and Gerrit Cole. The Georgia product also ranks first in games started (174), sitting just four ahead of Jose Berrios and six ahead of Gausman.

Last season, Cease saw an uptick in his ERA (4.55) but ranked well amongst other facets, including his league-leading 11.5 K/9, 1.1 HR/9, and a 3.56 FIP while ranking in the 95th percentile in whiff percentage (33.4) and the 89th percentile in K percentage (29.8) across 32 starts and 168 innings.

For his career, Cease owns a 3.88 ERA and a 3.67 FIP across 1015 1/3 innings and 188 starts, becoming a regular rotation arm in 2020 with the Chicago White Sox and later the San Diego Padres. The 29-year-old has made 32+ starts over the last five seasons and owns a 10.9 K/9, 3.8 BB/9, and a 1.265 WHIP during that time. In 2022, he finished second in AL Cy Young voting and later finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting in 2024, his first season with the Padres.

The Cease contract is the largest free agent deal in franchise history and sits second behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in terms of guaranteed money contracts.

With the addition of Cease, the Jays now have one of the top rotations in the American League, which also contains Gausman, Berrios, Shane Bieber, and newcomer Trey Yesavage. Gausman and Bieber are slated for free agency following 2026, while Berrios has a player option.

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