There's a reason MLB fans everywhere opened their eyes wide when the Toronto Blue Jays signed Dylan Cease to the largest free-agent contract in franchise history.
It was a particularly jarring moment for the rest of the American League East, and not because of the money. Toronto, fresh off a World Series berth, had just added one of the game's top strikeout artists to their rotation.
As a club like the Boston Red Sox measures its own rotation against Toronto's in 2026, the idea of the Blue Jays adding Cease to a mix that already features Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, and Shane Bieber (not to mention latest addition Cody Ponce) is a tad anxiety-inducing.