With less than 24 hours to go before Americans gather around their tables for Thanksgiving, the first major splash of the MLB free agent season happened in Canada. Thanksgiving north of the border came on October 13, but the Toronto Blue Jays have much to be thankful for after they landed the most sought-after starting pitcher on the free agent market.
Now-former San Diego Padres right-hander Dylan Cease was the top name in the 2025-2026 starting pitcher free agent class, and as expected, he did not come cheap for Toronto. According to a report by The Athletic, the reigning American League champions who came up just three outs short of winning their franchise’s third-ever World Series landed Cease by giving him a seven-year contract with a total value of $210 million.
The deal is the largest ever given to a pitcher in the history of the Blue Jays, which dates back to 1977 when Toronto entered the AL as an expansion team. The Seattle Mariners also commenced play that year.
Cease Contract Throws Bichette Chase Into Chaos
The largest contract given to any player by the Blue Jays came in April when Toronto prevented their five-time All-Star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from entering free agency by signing him to a staggering, 14-year, $500 million contract extension.
But another Blue Jays star, 27-year-old shortstop Bo Bichette, remains a free agent and is one of the top position players on the market â though with former Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros 147-home run slugger Kyle Tucker also a free agent seeking a nine-figure, multi-year deal, Bichette cannot be considered the No. 1 target available.
While Toronto was widely believed to be among the frontrunners to sign Bichette, retaining their two-time All-Star with 111 career home runs, that situation now appears to be thrown into chaos with the Blue Jays committing a combined $710 million to two players after the reported Cease acquisition.
Yankees Now in Pole Position for Bichette
“Bichette is a free agent, and the Blue Jays were seen as the heavy favorites to sign him to a new deal,” wrote MLB analyst Zach Presnell of Newsweek, shortly after the Cease signing was reported. “But after giving Cease over $200 million, this could quickly change. Cease’s deal reportedly includes deferred money, which should help the Blue Jays sign other stars right now.”
Presnell goes on to name the New York Yankees â along with the Atlanta Braves â as the top remaining destination for Bichette. So far this offseason, the Yankees have made no significant acquisitions, either through trades or free agency.
“It’s too early to count the Blue Jays out of the Bichette sweepstakes, but he might not be their top priority,” Presnell continued. “Blue Jays fans should be preparing for life without Bichette because it seems like a real possibility.”
Bichette May Not Be Top Priority After All
But what about the Yankees? The Bronx Bombers had been setting their sights on adding Cease to a rotation that already includes lefty 19-game winner Max Fried, 2023 AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole â on the comeback trail after Tommy John surgery â three-time All-Star lefty Carlos Rodon and 2025 rookie sensation Cam Schlittler.
Obviously, that scenario is by the boards, but Yankees expert Adam Weinrib of Yanks Go Yard believes that rather than Bichette, Tucker or the Yankeesâ own free agent outfielder Cody Bellinger will be New York’s top targets as the offseason goes on.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Yankees Predicted to Land Bo Bichette After Blue Jays Sign $210 Million Pitcher appeared first on Heavy Sports.