Another day, another splashy signing for the Toronto Blue Jays as they look to return to the World Series in 2026.
The Jays front office announced that the team had reached a 3 year, $30M agreement with right handed pitcher Cody Ponce. Ponce, who is a former 2nd round MLB draft pick, just wrapped up an impressive season with the Hanwha Eagles of the Korean Baseball Organization, earning league MVP honours along the way.
With a 1.89 ERA and 252 strikeouts across 180.2IP, Ponce was on several team’s radars this offseason as a potential starter or bullpen addition. While the 31 year old served as a starting pitcher in the KBO, he also has extensive experience as a reliever, giving the Jays some versatility heading into the 2026 MLB campaign.
Options for the Jays to deploy in their rotation next season now include Ponce, Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, Jose Berrios, Eric Lauer, and Bowden Francis. As it stands, it’s likely that Ponce would battle it out with Berrios, Lauer and Francis for the 5th starter’s spot in Spring Training, but the team could opt to start him in relief, knowing that injuries will occur, and he may get shifted to a starter’s role at some point.
Even with the signing of Ponce and Dylan Cease, the Jays front office remains committed to adding to a lineup that came agonizingly close to winning it all this fall. A reunion with Max Scherzer or Chris Bassitt remains possible, and sources have said the Jays have checked in on Cease’s former teammate Michael King as well.
Then there’s the ongoing Bo Bichette contract negotiations, as well as the possibility of adding outfielder Kyle Tucker to the team as well. All in all this is shaping up to be one of the biggest offseasons in franchise history for Toronto.
Photo: Minda Haas Kuhlmann. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.