The Toronto Blue Jays made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason so far, signing former San Diego Padres starter Dylan Cease to a massive seven-year, $210 million contract.
It's a massive deal for Cease, with the specifics of the deal bound to make the contract look a bit different than it does at signing.
According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the contract details for Cease are significant. Not only is his per-year total clear, but Cease is confirmed to have tens of millions in deferrels in his blockbuster deal.
Blue Jays' Dylan Cease gets $61 million deferral contract update
Heyman reports that in 2026, Cease has $10 million deferred, and from 2027 until 2032, his contract has $9 million deferred each season. That comes out to $61 million in total deferrals for Cease and the Blue Jays.
This upcoming season, Cease's deal is for $22 million, before it jumps up to $30 million in 2027, which is the highest his AAV will reach during his Blue Jays stint.
Cease will be on the books for $29 million (2028), $28 million (2029), $27 million (2030), $26 million (2031), and $25 million (2032).
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Heyman also reports that, along with Cease receiving a $23 million signing bonus, he will also have various award bonuses, which could trigger for Cy Young Awards, All-Star nods, and other potential accolades.
One of the more important updates to this $210 million contract with Cease and Toronto is that there's a limited no-trade clause. It's not a full no-trade clause, giving the Blue Jays the ability to get out of his contract without asking Cease for a trade.
This deal is a massive one for Cease, and he's set to make a lot of money over the next few seasons. Toronto added Cease to an already talented rotation, and with Cody Ponce also coming up north, the Blue Jays are making an effort to return to the World Series.
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