rewrite this title Blue Jays signing Cody Ponce to three-year, $30 million contract

The Blue Jays continue to load up on arms this offseason.

Toronto is finalizing a deal to bring in right-handed pitcher Cody Ponce on a three-year, $30 million deal, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Tuesday.

It marks a record contract for a pitcher returning to the United States from South Korea, The Athletic reported.

The American League champions already added former Padres righty Dylan Cease on a $210 million contract last week, and bringing in Ponce should help boost the staff.

The 31-year-old — a second-round pick by the Brewers in 2024 — had a 5.86 ERA in the big leagues and hasn’t pitched stateside since 2021, but he’s turned around his career overseas in Japan and South Korea.

After three seasons in Japan, where he held a 4.54 ERA, Ponce truly made a leap in 2025 with the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization.

He posted a 2.04 ERA with a league-record 252 strikeouts over 180 2/3 innings. He won the league’s MVP at year’s end.

It’s not clear yet how the Blue Jays plan to use Ponce, but after pitching in a mix of relief for the Pirates and Brewers earlier in the decade, he pitched as a full-time starter in 29 games in Korea this past season. So, at minimum, he should be a rotation option.

The rest of Toronto’s rotation will likely include Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber and Jose Berríos as they look to hold off the Yankees in the American League East again.