Blue Jays Sign Cody Ponce to 3-Year, $30M Deal

The Toronto Blue Jays are set to add a major boost to their pitching rotation, finalizing a three-year, $30 million deal with right-hander Cody Ponce, sources report.

Ponce, 31, comes off a spectacular season in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) with the Hanwha Eagles, where he dominated hitters to the tune of a 17-1 record, 1.89 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 252 strikeouts over 180.2 innings. His stellar performance earned him the league’s Most Valuable Player award.

The right-hander last pitched in Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021, appearing in 15 games and posting a 7.04 ERA across 38.1 innings. Despite his previous struggles in the MLB, Ponce has shown tremendous growth overseas, and the Blue Jays are banking on his ability to replicate that success at home.

Originally drafted in the second round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, Ponce has a career MLB record of 5.86 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 55.1 innings. With this new deal, Toronto is betting on the veteran’s experience and recent dominance to strengthen their pitching staff in the upcoming seasons.