When Dylan Cease landed a massive seven-year, $210 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays earlier this week, it wasn’t just a free-agent splash. In Detroit, it sounded like a warning siren.
Because every Tigers fan knew what came next: If that's what Cease costs … then what in the world does Tarik Skubal cost?
For years, Tigers fans lived comfortably in hope that Skubal would be extended, that Detroit would lock down a true ace, and that a hometown Cy Young arm would be theirs for life. Then, Cease walked into free agency and walked out with $210 million –– and suddenly, Skubal's extension feels less like a contract negotiation and more like a hostage situation.