Blue Jays free agency: Dylan Cease makes perfect sense as an offseason addition

MLB free agency has been over for about a week now, and we’re still waiting for the first big shoe to drop.

For the Toronto Blue Jays, they’re likely waiting to find out what happens with their star free agent Bo Bichette before making any major decisions. Still, at some point, they’ll need to decide when they’re going to start making moves.

This offseason, there are a few big-name players that could be on the Blue Jays’ priority list, including Dylan Cease, who could easily be a top target to help round out their rotation.

Blue Jays free agency: Dylan Cease makes perfect sense as an offseason addition

First, why does Cease make sense as an offseason target? Well, as of right now, the Blue Jays have Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Jose Berrios, Bowden Francis, and Trey Yesavage. At this point, there’s no guarantee that Berrios will be back with the Blue Jays. The organization could look to move him in a trade. Plus, Francis missed most of last season and may not have the same stuff he had before the injury.

So, as a pure upgrade to the rotation, adding Cease makes a lot of sense. Beyond that, he’s one of the best pitchers in the league, and his addition would likely make the Blue Jays’ rotation the best in the American League.

There’s also the argument that Bieber took significantly less money than he could have earned had he hit the open market. So, why wouldn’t they spend more on starting pitching? It’s no secret this team needs bullpen help, but continuing to strengthen the rotation takes pressure off how good the bullpen needs to be. Blue Jays fans saw that firsthand during the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose starting pitching could easily be credited for helping them win the Fall Classic.

On a statistical level, Cease fits perfectly. He’s got great stuff, throwing a four-seamer, slider, curve, sinker, sweeper, and changeup. Last season with the San Diego Padres, he relied on his four-seamer and slider the most, both at 41%. He finished with an 8-12 record, a 4.55 ERA over 168 innings, 215 strikeouts, and a 1.33 WHIP in 32 starts.

According to EPSN, he’s projected to earn a five-year, $145 million contract, paying him $29 million per season. Cease would be a great addition to the Blue Jays’ rotation as the number two starter behind Gausman. That would move Bieber to number three, Yesavage to number four, and Berrios or Francis to number five. It would give Toronto a deep rotation capable of competing not just for the best in the AL, but maybe even the best in all of baseball.