Blue Jays' development pitch major factor in Dylan Cease decision to sign in Toronto
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Dylan Cease made the first big splash of the MLB off-season when he signed a seven-year deal worth $210 million with the Toronto Blue Jays in November.
Cease joined OverDrive on TSN1050 on to discuss what went into him deciding to sign with the Blue Jays and his outlook for the future with the team.
«For me, it's the business,» Cease said of his decision to sign with Toronto. «How are they going to develop and help me be the most consistent player I can be? And then, does the team have a good chance of winning every year? And the Blue Jays pretty easily checked all of those boxes.»
Coming off a season in which the Blue Jays won 94 games (most in the American League) and represented the A.L. in the World Series, ultimately falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 11th inning of Game 7, Toronto has firmly established itself as a competitive franchise.
Dylan Cease said on TSN Over Drive1050 he was "blown away" with the #BlueJays' plans for his development, including different grips, movement profiles, etc:
«I want to be a consistent, top-end pitcher, not one year great one year average.. one year great.»
«I want to be a consistent, top-end pitcher, not one year great one year average.. one year great.»
Blue Jays development staff was the biggest reason why Cease chose Toronto
Pitching coach Pete Walker and the Blue Jays staff were a major reason why Cease chose Toronto and is confident in what he can accomplish as a member of the staff.
«It's honestly really impressive,» Cease said of the Blue Jays' pitch during negotiations. «They show you how if you change your grip with this pitch, you can get this kind of movement, and - I can't get in to too much detail here with you but - they can basically, with how you release the ball and different things that you do, they can tell you 'Hey, we can add this pitch, do this or that, or we think we can improve what's already there, or we can help you change your mechanics, things like that.»
Cease already has a well-established track record pitching in the majors. The seven-year veteran has two top-five finishes in Cy Young voting over his past four seasons, and has eclipsed 200 strikeouts in five consecutive years, only the 21st pitcher to accomplish that feat in MLB history.
The ability to take that a step further with the help of the staff in Toronto was a major draw.
«So I was pretty blown away by what they've got on the development side, and that's important to me. I have been around for a while but if you're not willing to evolve and continue to learn and grow in the game it's going to pass you by. I really want to be a consistent, top-end pitcher, not one year great, one year average, one year great.»
At the end of the day, though, the focus for Cease will always come back to winning.
The 29-year-old has never won a playoff start, and owns a ghastly 8.74 ERA in the postseason. In his final season with the Chicago White Sox before joining the San Diego Padres, Cease endured a 61-101 campaign in 2023.
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DECEMBRE 18 | 52 ANSWERS Blue Jays' development pitch major factor in Dylan Cease decision to sign in Toronto Do you agree with Dylan Ceases take on the Blue Jays pitching and development staff? | ||
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