The Toronto Blue Jays, after being that close to ending their 32-year championship drought, failed. So, they came in this off-season with one motive–to be aggressive. And they did just that by signing Dylan Cease with a head-turning $210 million deal.

But now the bigger question is floating–did the Jays overpay for a pitcher with a 4.18 ERA over the past three seasons? Keith Law from The Athletic questioned Mark Shapiro and the front office about this decision.

“With Cease, Toronto is getting durability, and perhaps the Blue Jays think they can unlock some untapped potential that the San Diego Padres couldn’t, but only once in his career has he pitched like the guy they seem to be paying.”

So, according to Keith Law, the Toronto Blue Jays are betting on the durability and the untapped potential, given that Cease has pitched like an ace only once, back in his electric 2022 Cy Young runner-up season. And honestly, since then, sure, the moments of brilliance have been there, but some moments have raised eyebrows.

Like in two of the last three seasons, his ERA has climbed to the mid-4.00s, including a 4.55 mark in 2025. But Law also noted something that Toronto might have clearly valued in Cease–the man never misses a start. In an era of fragile rotations, that alone costs a lot of money.

And honestly, this isn’t truly a $210 million deal. With the deferrals, it’s more like $182 million over the seven years. That softer luxury tax part is probably why the Toronto Blue Jays pulled the trigger. They are not paying for the pitcher that Dylan Cease was; they are paying him for the arm he can become with their backing.

But the critics didn’t just fire up without a reason. Cease, you see, has had a long history of underperforming, especially when pitching from the stretch. Sure, the ingredients are there–big strikeout rates, nasty spin, mid-90s bombs–but the recipe hasn’t always been perfect. However, come what may, the move does make some sense strategically–they gain stability in the rotation, given Shane Bieber is on a limited workload. Trey Yesavage is still learning the ropes of the big league.

After landing Cease, what’s next for the Blue Jays? Moves they can make!

With the Cease signing, the Jays now have a scary enough front-end rotation–Cease, Gausman, and a healthy Shane Bieber. But here is the thing– this can’t be the finish line, especially if the Jays want another shot at the World Series. This is the start.

1. Fix the bullpen!

Even the best rotation loses its shine if the bullpen can hold its own, and that has burned the Jays more than once. Their relief group was okay last season; sure, they were not disastrous, but fine. And for a team trying to chase the Dodgers, “fine” doesn’t cut it. They need a late-inning hero, and if they can make the money talk, then Edwin Diaz is the dream. If not, then Devin Williams and Ryan Helsley are also good upgrades.

2. Bring back Bo Bichette

There is no two ways about it–the Jays are no better without Bo Bichette. You can’t replace a .294 hitter with a knack for delivering those big moments. Plus, he is homegrown and loved by the fans, and not to mention, Bo wants to be back in Toronto. If the Jays want to stay in the contending circle, they need to make signing their star shortstop a priority.

3. Add one more impact bat

Now, even if Bichette returns, the offence still calls for another impact hitter. Vladimir Guerrero can’t take the lead alone, and Springer is not the same player he once was. For now, Kyle Tucker is too pricey, so options like Cody Bellinger or Pete Alonso, or even Alex Bregman, are what the Jays can look towards.