The Toronto Blue Jays have made another major splash in free agency, signing right-hander Cody Ponce to a three-year, $30 million contract. The move comes just days after the reigning American League champions inked Dylan Cease to a massive seven-year, $210 million deal, signaling the franchise's aggressive commitment to building a championship-caliber pitching staff.
The Return of a Forgotten Prospect
Ponce's journey back to Major League Baseball is nothing short of remarkable. The
31-year-old right-hander was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second round of the 2015 MLB Draft, but his initial MLB stint was brief and underwhelming. After appearing in just 20 games across the 2020 and 2021 seasons with Pittsburgh, Ponce's career seemed destined for obscurity.
Instead of fading away, Ponce took a different path—one that led him overseas to reinvent himself. He spent the last four years pitching in Japan and South Korea, where he developed into a
legitimate ace-caliber starter. His transformation has become a blueprint for how players can resurrect their careers by competing at the highest levels outside MLB.
A Dominant 2025 KBO Season
Ponce's credentials heading into free agency were impossible to ignore. Playing for the
Hanwha Eagles in South Korea's Korea Baseball Organization, he put together a
dominant 2025 season that earned him the league's MVP award. The numbers tell the story:
17 wins and just 1 loss, a sparkling
1.89 ERA, and an impressive
252 strikeouts across 180⅔ innings.
What's particularly striking is his
6.15 strikeout-to-walk ratio, demonstrating elite command alongside his overpowering stuff. Ponce was touching the upper-90s with his fastball and complementing it with a quality splitter, proving he still possessed the stuff to compete at baseball's highest level.
Blue Jays' Pitching Overhaul
The Ponce signing represents the second major pitching acquisition for Toronto in less than a week. The
Dylan Cease deal ($210 million over seven years) was the largest free-agent contract in Blue Jays franchise history, and it signaled management's intention to build around elite starting pitching.
By adding Ponce, the Blue Jays are creating a formidable rotation that should keep them competitive in the American League East. The combination of Cease's proven track record and Ponce's recent dominance gives Toronto two legitimate aces heading into the 2026 season.
What's Next for Ponce?
The deal is pending a physical, but assuming Ponce passes medical clearance, he'll make his return to MLB after a four-year absence. At 31 years old (turning 32 in April), Ponce will be looking to prove that his KBO success translates back to the majors. While there's always risk when a player returns after such a long absence, his recent performance and the quality of his stuff suggest he has a legitimate chance to contribute immediately.
The Blue Jays are betting that Ponce's reinvention overseas has made him a better pitcher than the one who struggled in Pittsburgh five years ago. If that gamble pays off, Toronto could have assembled one of baseball's most formidable rotations.
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1.
ESPN - Blue Jays, RHP Cody Ponce Reach 3-Year, $30M Deal2.
CBS Sports - Blue Jays Sign Cody Ponce3.
Sports Illustrated - Blue Jays Sign Pitcher Who Tore Up South Korean League4.
MLB.com - Former MLB Reliever Drawing Serious Interest After Dominating KBO
Sources
1. Sources: Blue Jays, RHP Cody Ponce reach 3-year, $30M deal
2. Blue Jays sign Cody Ponce: What to know as righty ... - CBS Sports
3. Blue Jays Sign Pitcher Who Tore Up South Korean League in MVP ...
4. Former MLB reliever drawing serious interest after dominating KBO
5. Phillies news: Kyle Schwarber, draft, Cody Ponce
