Dodgers feel early effects of World Series response as Blue Jays make spending splash

The Dodgers came out on the other end of the World Series as the victors, but it was a series won by the smallest margins and, if Dodgers fans are really going to be honest, a whole lot of luck for LA.

The AL East is arguably the most competitive division in baseball, but Toronto is more focused than any of them on getting back to the World Series, given how close they got in 2025.

And they're already getting aggressive and making a statement. Jon Heyman reported on Wednesday night that the Blue Jays are signing Dylan Cease, arguably the top arm on the free agent market, to a seven-year, $210 million deal. The signing comes on the one-year anniversary of the Dodgers signing Blake Snell to his five-year, $182 million deal.

Cease was a longtime Dodgers target when he was a Chicago White Sox, before the Padres pulled off a trade for him right before the start of the 2024 season. They weren't expected to go after him in free agency this offseason, given that their rotation is full (with overflow), but with this signing, the Blue Jays are establishing themselves as a forced to be reckoned with, earlier into the offseason than any expected.

Blue Jays sign longtime Dodgers white whale, rival Dylan Cease to seven-year contract

Toronto still has some work to do on their rotation, unless they're satisified with moving Eric Lauer back into a starting role, but Kevin Gausman, Cease, Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage shouldn't be underestimated.

Cease pitched three starts against the Dodgers in 2025 as a Padre; his first start was dominant (seven innings, zero earned runs), but his next two were less so (10 innings, 11 runs).

Right now, Toronto looks like the greatest threat to a Dodgers three-peat. Sure, a lot of their success in 2025 seemed like a flash in the pan (who can truly, confidently say that Ernie Clement and Addison Barger will continue to be the postseason monsters they were this year?), but their Cease signing is already more aggressive than anything the Yankees have done.

The Blue Jays are serious about getting back to the World Series and they're preparing for the very real possibility of seeing the Dodgers for the second time in two years. Cease oscillates between middling and outstanding seasons, but based on his track record, he's due for one that will turn him into a Cy Young candidate. If the Dodgers and Blue Jays see each other in the 2025 Fall Classic, LA could be in trouble.