The Toronto Blue Jays have made another pitching signing.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal reported on Tuesday that the Blue Jays signed right-handed pitcher Cody Ponce to a three-year, $30 million deal.
Ponce last pitched in the majors in 2021 with the Pittsburgh Pirates before going over to Japan and Korea. He spent last season in the KBO with the Hanwha Eagles and was dominant.
The 31-year-old went 17-1 with a 1.89 ERA in 29 starts over 180.2 innings, along with 252 strikeouts. He was the KBO MVP for his stellar performance last season. Ponce also set the single-game record with 18 strikeouts on May 17.
After his dominant season, Ponce was named the KBO League MVP. He also won the Choi Dong-won Award as the league’s top starting pitcher.
The right-hander added a splitter while he was in Korea, which became an effective strikeout pitch. His fastball also sat around 95 MPH, two MPH higher than it was when he was in the MLB.
When he was in the MLB, Ponce struggled as he went 1-7 with a 5.86 ERA in 20 games over two seasons with the Pirates.
Ponce joins a Blue Jays rotation that features Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, and Jose Berrios.
Pitching Was a ‘Priority’ for Blue Jays
The Blue Jays made the first big splash of the offseason by signing Cease to a seven-year, $210 million deal, which was made official on Tuesday.
Despite Toronto having five quality starters already, Blue Jays insider Shi Davidi of Sportsnet expected the team to pursue more pitching.
“Another leverage arm that can get swing-and-misses late in games is on the to-do list while a swing-man type or even another starter are possibilities, too,” Davidi wrote on Tuesday. “As is their way, they’ve engaged across all segments of the pitching market in search of the best fit or fits.”
Davidi, meanwhile, had linked the Blue Jays to Ponce earlier in the day.
“Names they’re being connected to include Michael King, Zac Gallen, incumbents Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer. And, the intriguing Cody Ponce, who is eyeing a return to the majors after three seasons in Asia. … The Blue Jays kept close tabs on potentially available players in Asia all season,” Davidi added.
“Their work overseas paid off in a different segment of the market last year, as the minor-league contract Eric Lauer signed last December became one of their most impactful moves of that winter. Finding such an important contributor in that tier every year isn’t easy, but the Blue Jays are sure to again try layering in such depth.”
Although Toronto already had a near full rotation, the Blue Jays are going all-in on pitching.
Ponce Joins List of Players to Return to MLB After KBO Stint
Ponce has spent the last four years overseas, with the first three in Japan before signing in the KBO.
The right-hander joins a solid list of former pitchers who pitched overseas and returned to the majors. Some of the names include Erick Fedde, Merrill Kelly, Nick Martinez, and Miles Mikolas, among others.
The Blue Jays will be banking on Ponce to continue his success he had last season in the KBO.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Blue Jays Make Another Splash, Sign Star 1.89 ERA Pitcher to 3-Year Deal appeared first on Heavy Sports.