Why Blue Jays and Dylan Cease were an inevitable big-money match

ORLANDO, Fla. — There may have been other suitors in the hunt for Dylan Cease, now known as the richest free-agent signing in Blue Jays history.

But truly, from the early days of free agency, there was little doubt where the 29-year-old was going to land, sentiments Cease articulated rather forcefully on Tuesday.

“The biggest part really was being able to be a part of a championship team,” Cease said during his introductory news conference at baseball’s Winter Meetings. “Obviously with the run last year, they’ve proven that they have championship-caliber players and obviously a good process. That was probably the number one thing.

“And then from there, it was also how would they help me maximize and develop and basically reach my potential more often. That was important to me.

“It seemed from the get-go that it was going to be pretty inevitable.”

Inevitable and potentially invaluable for the Jays, who took their postseason success directly to the offseason in making strides to get back to the sport’s pinnacle in 2026.

It’s pretty heady times for the franchise in that regard, a factor acknowledged by the soft-spoken Cease on Tuesday. Flanked by GM Ross Atkins on his left and agent Scott Boras on his right for a performance in a massive ballroom here, Cease shed some light on how the deal went down, what attracted him to the Jays and why he figured Toronto was the best destination for the next stop in his career.

Why were the Jays inevitable?

A number of factors stood out, really.

Obviously the Jays success in the postseason this falll was large, as noted by Cease above, but it went deeper than that.

After a conversation with pitching coach Pete Walker, manager John Schneider and other key members of the Jays brass, the right hander felt he could prosper on the field in a Jays uniform.

“I think the biggest thing is you could tell they built a really impressive culture,” Cease said. “They were explaining what they do to get the best out of players and how they prepare. Even the little things like travel.

“You could just tell that it’s a buttoned-up organization. They want to win and that was obvious.”

Obvious and appealing to Cease, who felt no need to bleed out the negotiations with the Jays or other teams around baseball that had shown interest.

Cease made that feeling known to his agent, Boras, and thus the Jays got a head of the market and landed the top free-agent starter out there.

“Dylan interviewed everyone and really made a decision and directed me to go to Toronto and work out a deal and we were able to get that done rather rapidly,” Boras said.

How did the Jays become such big players?

As one of the top agents in the sport, Boras generally does business at the top end of the market and brings massive riches to his clients. He’s also influential on where they end up.

Over time, he’s done more deals with the Jays but a year ago noticed a shift change when the Jays were actively pursuing Juan Soto.

“For me, when Edward (Rogers) came to L.A. last year and we had meetings regarding Juan Soto, we got to spend a significant amount of time,” Boras said. “Listening was a very important part to the ascension of this franchise because they listened to what players wanted in amenities, what players wanted in technology to help them improve.

“The facilities are certainly considered best in class.”

The sentiments expressed by Boras are commonplace around baseball these days — a feeling that was more broadly spread as the stories emerged from their show on the sport’s grandest stage.

None of that was lost on Cease and when the money meshed with opportunity, he pounced.

The attraction was mutual

Manager John Schneider, who is an active voice in the Jays’ recruiting of free agents, was impressed with how fast the deal came together and how it set the tone for what is already graded as a productive offseason for the Jays.

“It happened real quick,” Schneider said on Tuesday. “In the initial Zoom with him, you could tell he was pretty intrigued with what we were talking about. We obviously valued him pretty highly and it just kind of lined up.”

How fast did happen? Rapid fire.

“After the initial communication, I think the deal was done in about a week which is really, really rare at this point in the offseason. I think it’s important to keep some of the momentum (from the World Series) building and we’re thrilled that he’s part or our rotation.

“We’ve been in love with his stuff for a while and I think there’s a really opportunity for him to continue to get better with what we can offer him.”

How does Cease fit?

Judging by his easy going nature, it certainly seems as though he’ll be a strong mix with pitching coach Walker.

“When I asked around about him, it’s nothing but great things,” Cease said. “My initial thoughts were that he’s straightforward and he seemed humble with information and how he’s planning on giving it to me.

“Ultimately, I think our personalities are going to mesh well.”

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