The Toronto Blue Jays made the biggest move of the 2025-2026 offseason so far, signing former San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox starter Dylan Cease to a massive $210 million contract.
It's a huge deal for Cease, as he's now paid $30 million per season for the next seven years. While adding a quality starter like Cease is a nice addition, there's bound to be a side effect.
As Mark Feinsand of MLB.com writes, this massive $210 million Cease signing makes for some bad news on Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette coming to Toronto in free agency.
Blue Jays' chance of signing Bo Bichette, Kyle Tucker takes hit after Dylan Cease $210 million deal
"For the past couple of weeks," Feinsand writes, "we have heard about the Blue Jays' interest in Kyle Tucker, with some suggesting that Toronto could sign both Tucker and Bichette. Now that the Jays have handed out a $210 million deal to Cease, it seems unlikely that there's room for both Bichette and Tucker.
Toronto landed one of the top pitchers on the market this winter, but they've also potentially taken themselves out of the bidding on both Tucker and Bichette.
They can still wind up singing one or the other, as the Blue Jays aren't done spending this offseason. But the somewhat realistic scenario of the Blue Jays getting both Tucker and Bichette no longer seems feasible, according to Feinsand.
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With Tucker likely to sign a mega-deal this offseason, the Blue Jays' decision to sign Cease could mean that Bichette is more likely to come back for 2026 and beyond.
But, regardless of how it's spun, the Blue Jays' decision to sign Cease to a $210 million deal might have taken them out of the running for a splash signing of Tucker and Bichette.
Toronto spent big, and they will likely not be done spending big this winter. But the dream scenario of singing both Tucker and Bichette isn't likely anymore, according to Feinsand.
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