The Toronto Blue Jays just made the biggest free-agent splash in their history. However, by securing Dylan Cease for seven years and $210 million, they may have inadvertently created a massive hole elsewhere on their roster.

Cease’s deal has beaten the six-year, $150 million contract the team gave to George Springer in 2021. However, spending more than $200 million on the former Padres star has created a significant financial bind for the Blue Jays. They’ve complicated paying for or outbidding for two other mega contracts.

Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker.

It’ll be costly to extend Bichette (around or above $200 million), and it’ll be just as expensive to bring in Kyle Tucker, who is projected to command more than $350 million.

Even MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand feels the same way.

“It seems unlikely that there’s room for both Bichette and Tucker.”

For Tucker, in particular, there’s only one way out: if the Cubs outfielder is open to deferrals. But that’s improbable.

As for Bichette, it’s still too early to rule the Blue Jays out of this sweepstakes. However, he may no longer be their top priority.

That gives clubs like the Yankees and the Braves some serious edge. Neither of them has shelled out $200 million this offseason. So, it could give them the upper hand over Toronto.

Why did the Blue Jays go for Dylan Cease and not others from the free agency market?

Recently, while analyzing the Blue Jays’ move, MLB insider Chris Rose didn’t sound convinced about Dylan Cease’s $210 million deal.

“It’s a little bit of a head-scratcher. I got to be honest, I thought maybe they were going to make a play for Kyle Tucker. I don’t know if they’re still in the game there. But what does Cease bring you?” 

Dylan Cease will turn 30 next month. He’s coming off a tough season. In 32 starts with the San Diego Padres, he posted a 4.55 ERA (94 ERA+) and a 3.03 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

So, if the Blue Jays were committed to adding a free-agent starter, why did they go for Dylan Cease and not left-hander Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez, or another available option?

Cease is the most dynamic pitcher of the group.

Over his career, he’s struck out nearly 11 batters per nine innings, compared to Valdez’s 8.9 and Suárez’s 8.3. Since 2021, he has been one of the most dominant starters in baseball. He ranks 7th in innings pitched (884), leads all qualified starters in strikeouts (1106), sits 4th in fWAR (20.6), and continues to pair elite velocity (96.7 mph on average) with a strong 29.7% strikeout rate.

Add in a +64.10 WPA, and it’s clear he’s been among the game’s best arms. Cease brings a new dimension to a Blue Jays rotation that ranked just 14th in the majors in strikeouts.

However, fans seem disappointed. Because following the Dylan Cease signing, the Jays will likely have to part ways with Max Scherzer.

Scherzer is a free agent this offseason, and he made key contributions to the Blue Jays’ playoff run. Less than 24 hours before Toronto signed Dylan Cease, the 41-year-old veteran appeared on The Leafs Nation. Former NHL star Jay Rosehill asked him about the “unfinished business” following the Blue Jays’ narrow Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

“For us, the way we look at it, usually when you have a crushing defeat like that, it’s like something that you always want to turn to. In our clubhouse, we don’t feel like that one bit,” Scherzer responded.

The two-time World Series champ’s repeated use of “we” felt like the biggest hint that he’s planning to stay put with the Blue Jays.

“I want everybody in the same situation, playing the same ball. We want to go back out there. We’re actually proud of the way we played. We did everything right in a lot of different ways. So, the notion that there’s some ‘unfinished business,’ yeah! We know we’re a championship-caliber team, and we want to do that.”

But now that the Blue Jays’ rotation is completely stacked, the chances of Scherzer making another run seem unlikely.

What does Dylan Cease’s signing mean for other starters in the market?

Valdez and other free-agent starters are certainly smiling at Cease’s hefty contract. The free-agent market often moves by precedent. So, now, the agents representing all the starters can point to Cease’s deal and argue that their clients deserve at least the same, if not more.

Of course, that doesn’t guarantee a massive contract. But they are entering negotiations with a much stronger case than they had just a week ago.