One of the biggest free agents on the market signed with the reigning AL champs on Wednesday afternoon. Dylan Cease was considered by many to be one of the best pitchers available this winter, and the Blue Jays committed enough money to make him sign before Thanksgiving. The Atlanta Braves have been linked to Cease for quite a while now, but signing him to the seven-year, $210 million contract he just got was never going to happen with Alex Anthopoulos.
Many will question the Blue Jays for committing $210 million to a guy who posted a 4.55 ERA last season, but Cease's upside was among the highest on the market. Cease has been one of the most durable starting pitchers over the last five seasons, and his underlying numbers gave Toronto confidence he is an ascending player. However, there are a few reasons why Braves fans should be thankful they didn't hand out this contact to Cease.
Right-hander Dylan Cease and the Toronto Blue Jays are in agreement on a seven-year, $210 million contract, pending a physical, sources tell ESPN. The defending American League champions get one of the best arms on the free agent market.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 26, 2025
Why Braves fans should be thankful Atlanta didn't give Cease over $200 million
Cease is just the latest pitcher off the market that Atlanta could have made a run at. However, talking yourself into the seven-year $210 million contract that Cease got is hard to justify. The contract will run through Cease's age 37 season, so the $30 million AAV could look rough towards the end of this deal. Additionally, Cease's value is carried by his durability and ability to generate whiffs - at least 200 Ks in five consecutive seasons, and both of those traits tend to dip with age.
It's rare contracts this large age well, especially with pitchers. For every stellar Zack Wheeler deal, there is an equally bad Patrick Corbin or Stephen Strasburg deal. The truth is pitchers get hurt all the time, and while some may view Cease's durability as a strength, others may view that as an arm injury waiting to happen.
Adding Cease would have certainly helped the Braves 2026 rotation, but would it become a burden by the time the 2032 offseason rolls around? It's exactly why we haven't seen Alex Anthopoulos commit this large of a contract to a free agent. It's clear Anthopoulos has no interest in handcuffing himself to aging players, and prefers short-term deals once players enter their post mid-30's playing days.
Credit to the Blue Jays, they are coming off a deep postseason run and are looking to capitalize with exciting additions. The Braves are coming off a down season, and need to add talent, but they can't be as reckless with their spending. In time, there should be other free agent deals out there for Anthopoulos to be in the fight for, but Braves fans should be thankful he didn't fight Toronto too hard on this mega deal for Cease.