Dylan Cease Validates $210 Million Blue Jays Deal in First Season

Toronto’s ace pitcher Dylan Cease has posted a 2.56 ERA through 17 starts, including a no-hit bid that reached the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants. The bid ended when Heliot Ramos singled in the bottom of the ninth. Cease’s durability continues; he has logged 30 + starts in each of his last five seasons and remains on pace for another full campaign.

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Cease entered the major leagues with the Chicago White Sox in July 2019, making 14 starts that year. After a COVID-shortened 2020 season of 12 starts, he recorded 32 or 33 starts annually from 2021 through 2023. His ability to pitch every five days has been highlighted as a key factor in the Blue Jays’ confidence in his workload.

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When Cease threw 115 pitches over eight innings on the night of his near-no-hit effort, manager John Schneider elected to keep him in the game. Schneider explained that allowing a pitcher a chance at a no-hitter outweighs immediate pitch-count concerns, noting Cease’s prior experience and durability.

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MLB analyst Chris Rose of Jomboy Media initially expressed skepticism toward Cease’s $210 million free-agent contract. Rose now cites the pitcher’s statistical output as evidence that the contract is justified, emphasizing Cease’s consistency and the rarity of his durability.

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• “He does have this on his side and it's what has made Cease live up to the contract that he signed in the off season, which I was, I will admit, I was a tad bit skeptical, but the numbers prove otherwise,” — Chris Rose, MLB analyst, Jomboy Media

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• “It is pretty remarkable what he is able to do. He is durable, he is out there every five days, the manager doesn't have to worry about him.” — Chris Rose, MLB analyst, Jomboy Media

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• “Trending "It is pretty remarkable what he is able to do.” — Chris Rose, MLB analyst, Jomboy Media

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• “I’m a fan of baseball. If a guy has a chance to throw a no-hitter, you let him do it, and I think you make the adjustments after that,” — John Schneider, Toronto Blue Jays manager

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