The Toronto Blue Jays moved early in the 2025-26 offseason to address their key needs. Bo Bichette departed in free agency, but the Jays should be happy with their moves overall.
The rotation was improved with a pair of signings, a trusted set-up man was added to the bullpen, and a high-upside bat was acquired at the hot corner.
Toronto Blue Jays Free Agent Signings
| Player | Position | Contract Years | Contract Value |
| Dylan Cease | Starting Pitcher | 7 | $210 million |
| Cody Ponce | Starting Pitcher | 3 | $30 million |
| Kazuma Okamoto | Third Baseman | 4 | $60 million |
| Tyler Rogers | Relief Pitcher | 3 | $37 million |
Dylan Cease
It’s no surprise the baseball odds at the BetMGM online sportsbook price Dylan Cease as a legitimate Cy Young contender. Cease was fourth in NL Cy Young voting in 2024 and second in AL Cy Young voting two years earlier.
Only 12 qualified pitchers posted a better pitching+ than Cease last season. His results were underwhelming, but the under-the-hood numbers were far more encouraging with a sky-high strikeout rate and a solid xERA mark.
Cody Ponce
Since last pitching in the majors in 2021, Cody Ponce has played in Japan and Korea. In 2025, he had a dominant season in the KBO, with a 1.89 ERA and a league-record strikeout tally.
Most importantly, Ponce has increased his fastball velocity and spin rate during his time overseas. He also has a tumbling changeup that often bamboozles hitters. Ponce begins the year at the back end of the Jays’ rotation, but he could be an important piece if Cease, Kevin Gausman, or Trey Yesavage are sidelined for a period of time.
Tyler Rogers
A submariner capable of embarrassing hitters, Tyler Rogers led all qualifying relievers in stuff+ last season. Since the start of the 2021 season, he leads all relievers in innings pitched by a significant margin.
Across that same period, Rogers is eighth in xERA and ninth in ERA. His hard-hit rate is three percentage points lower than any other reliever, too.
Kazuma Okamoto
With an annual average salary of $15 million, Kazuma Okamoto doesn’t need to feature among the MVP favourites in MLB odds to be a successful signing. Okamoto, who hit 248 home runs in 11 NPB seasons, has the upside to be an All-Star in the big leagues.
The power is going to translate. Okamoto will strike out more against MLB pitching, but he should be able to keep the strikeouts under sufficient control to be a valuable hitter. He’s got a good eye, which will lead to plenty of walks.
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