The Toronto Blue Jays landed the first big fish on the free-agent market, signing Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million deal.

Though nobody was expecting such a big signing to be announced when it was, GM Ross Atkins had told reporters at his end-of-season media avail that he was hoping to add another starting pitcher, whether it be through free agency or a trade.

Cease will now join a formidable starting five that also includes Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, and Jose Berrios. That automatically sets up as one of the best starting rotations in all of baseball, if not the very best. Now, management will set their sights on other parts of the roster.

It’s no secret that the Blue Jays would also like to improve their bullpen. Atkins informed media that Jeff Hoffman, who signed a $33 million deal last offseason, is open to moving out of the closer role. That may not be the worst thing for the Jays, as the 2024 All Star struggled in his first season as a Blue Jay, posting a 4.37 ERA through 68 innings.

Hoffman being open to giving up his closer role has resulted in the Jays being linked to the best relief pitcher on the free-agent market in Edwin Diaz. The three-time reliever of the year remains one of the best in the business, posting a pristine 1.63 ERA along with 28 saves for the New York Mets this past season.

Before signing Diaz, however, the Blue Jays’ focus will be adding another big bat to the lineup. In a perfect world, they would bring back Bo Bichette after what was a fantastic 2025 season. That certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility, though plenty of other teams, including the New York Yankees, LA Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants are also expressing big interest.

Knowing they could potentially lose Bichette, however, Blue Jays management is already looking at different solutions.

They’ve reportedly expressed trade interest in Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte. The three-time All Star hit .283 with 28 home runs and 72 RBI this past season.

The other option is signing Kyle Tucker. The 28-year-old outfielder is the best bat available in free agency, and has been linked to the Blue Jays by a number of the top MLB insiders.

Should this be the route the Jays take, Andres Gimenez would likely become their everyday shortstop in 2026.

What move comes next remains to be seen, but it’s clear the Blue Jays aren’t done just yet. They are hungrier than every to win a World Series, and the signing of a great starting pitcher in Cease proves just that.

Lead photo by

Nick Turchiaro/Imagn Images