Canada’s solely MLB franchise was inaccurately billed because the David to the Dodgers’ Goliath going into the Collection, nevertheless it had been billed as a brewing behemoth by folks inside the sport for fairly some time.
And now, on the heels of an American League pennant and a so-close-it-hurts end within the Fall Basic, the Jays have unmistakably proven that, in relation to their unfinished enterprise, properly, they imply enterprise.
Large enterprise, on this explicit case.
A seven-year, $210 million pact with Stop — even with deferrals that carry the “true” present-day worth to one thing extra like $182 million — is a serious dedication to a pitcher coming off a wobbly stroll 12 months. It’s the most important free-agent signing in Blue Jays historical past, surpassing the six-year, $150 million deal George Springer signed previous to 2021.
It’s a deal that tells us rather a lot concerning the fashionable recreation and, extra importantly, concerning the state of the Blue Jays.
Stop had a 4.55 ERA in 2025. That’s not excellent.
He had a 94 league- and ballpark-adjusted ERA+, or 6% beneath league common. That’s not excellent, both.
He walked virtually 10% of batters he confronted, the third-worst fee amongst certified starters. (Walks are unhealthy.)
Not one of the above factors to a top-of-the-market deal. And but none of us anticipated something lower than a top-of-the-market deal for Stop, whose Baseball Savant web page has extra crimson than a criminal offense scene due to the energy of his whiff-inducing uncooked stuff. With a 3.46 xERA and 29.8% strikeout fee, Stop’s 2025 was like a home with good bones however a foul paint job.
It was a provided that anyone was going to pay massive cash for Stop’s massive potential, even when his ultimate season in San Diego was removed from the Cy-Younger-conversation-caliber he had displayed in 2022 and 2024. A free-agent enterprise that was as soon as oriented round previous efficiency is extra oriented as of late round predictive risk, and the soon-to-be-30-year-old Stop is rather a lot richer for it.
In order that’s nice for Dylan Stop. However once more, he was going to receives a commission wherever he landed.
The truth that it’s the Blue Jays paying that massive cash is what’s actually fascinating about this pact.
The entrance finish of the rotation was not essentially a necessity for the Jays. Not after rookie Trey Yesavage confirmed up and rewrote the document books within the 2025 postseason and never after Shane Bieber surprisingly exercised his one-year, $16 million participant possibility to stick with a workforce he had solely been with for just a few months.
Even when Bieber, coming into his first full season following Tommy John surgical procedure, had been intent on a short-term state of affairs to construct up his long-term worth, you’d should consider there was greater than $16 million out there to him within the open market. He stayed with the Jays as a result of he liked their teaching and tradition.
That’s stuff that makes you’re feeling all heat and fuzzy, and the Blue Jays rightly touted their “toughness and togetherness” in the middle of their enjoyable run to the Fall Basic. There’s positively one thing particular happening of their locker room.
However there’s one thing substantial happening of their payroll division, too. A workforce with a linked clubhouse is harmful. A workforce with a linked clubhouse and the deep pockets to again it’s actually, actually harmful.
“We’re now not sneaking up on folks,” Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro advised me throughout the World Collection. “I feel that the league and gamers right here know it is a fantastic place to play. We’re simply scratching on the floor. We have now 7 million folks watching us play all through this nation. It is like one-fifth of the nation watching our video games, which is exceptional. It is an unimaginable factor to contemplate the duty and the satisfaction that comes with realizing that folks hundreds of miles away are nonetheless dwelling and dying by our recreation.”
The Jays are simply starting to faucet into what that attain represents. They’re simply starting to do the issues that big-market behemoths do.
Issues like extending your franchise cornerstone (Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) for half a billion bucks.
And blowing previous the posh tax threshold.
And including energy to a energy, committing what could be the most important pitching pact signed this offseason to a man who may not essentially be your No. 1 starter within the new season.
Even when this deal is the extent of the Jays’ offseason expenditures, they may have made one of many winter’s larger strikes. However with Bo Bichette on the market within the open market and Kyle Tucker a possible various ought to Bichette bolt and basic supervisor Ross Atkins having overtly addressed the potential of the membership bringing in somebody aside from Jeff Hoffman to shut, it’s extremely uncertain that is the place the Jays’ main exercise — ahem — Ceases.
When the Blue Jays have been spurned by Shohei Ohtani (and even his canine) and Juan Soto in latest winters, it was deceptively straightforward to painting them as one thing aside from a desired vacation spot. However that enthralling World Collection — to say nothing of the season main as much as it — earned them consideration and appreciation. And the Stop deal illustrates that they’re prepared, prepared and in a position to throw their weight round.
Whether or not the Jays play like a juggernaut in 2026 stays to be seen. All we will say for sure now could be that they’re appearing like one. A lot for that David vs. Goliath stuff.
