Ponce signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Ponce will return to Major League Baseball for the first time since 2021 after playing three seasons in Japan, followed by one year in Korea. He was dominant this past season in the KBO, turning in a 1.89 ERA and 0.94 WHIP across 180.2 innings and taking home the league's MVP award. He'll now join a Blue Jays squad that is putting a clear emphasis on adding rotation talent after also signing Dylan Cease in November.
Cease signed a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Blue Jays on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Cease will join the reigning American League champions and further bolster a rotation that already features Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber and top prospect Trey Yesavage. The 29-year-old Cease was fairly underwhelming this past season, finishing with a 4.55 ERA and 1.33 WHIP across 168 regular-season innings. However, he's made at least 32 starts and struck out more than 210 batters every year since 2021, which helps to keep his fantasy appeal relatively high entering 2026.
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Blue Jays' Rodolfo Castro: Grabs NRI from Toronto
Rotowire
The Blue Jays signed Castro to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training, Ari Alexander of WHDH 7News in Boston reports.
Castro spent the 2025 campaign at Triple-A Lehigh Valley in the Phillies organization, slashing .235/.324/.421with 19 homers and 18 steals over 133 contests. The 26-year-old utility infielder last appeared in the majors in 2023 and is likely to begin next season at Triple-A Buffalo.
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Blue Jays' Carlos Mendoza: Gets NRI pact from Toronto
Rotowire
The Blue Jays signed Mendoza to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training Friday, Marcos Grunfeld of ElEmergente.com reports.
Mendoza spent the first six years of his pro career in the Tigers organization, hitting .287/.394/.409 with seven homers and 12 steals between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo in 2025. Slated to turn 26 in December, Mendoza can play all over the field and will likely open the 2026 season in a utility role at Triple-A Buffalo.
The Blue Jays selected Tiedemann's (elbow) contract from Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday.
Tiedemann missed the entire 2025 season while working his way back from the Tommy John procedure he underwent in July 2024. The Jays haven't offered an update on whether he'll be ready to go by the start of spring training, but his addition to the 40-man roster ensures he won't be plucked away in the Rule 5 Draft. The 23-year-old lefty is considered one of the top pitching prospects in Toronto's system and is a candidate to make his MLB debut at some point in 2026.
Sandlin (elbow) cleared waivers Saturday and was sent outright to Triple-A Buffalo, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Sandlin was effective in the big leagues in 2025, turning in a 2.20 ERA and 1.16 WHIP across 16.1 regular-season innings with the Jays. However, right elbow inflammation sent him to the injured list in early July, and multiple setbacks in his recovery prevented him from returning. The 28-year-old righty will likely elect free agency and could attract significant attention after posting a 3.19 ERA through his first five MLB seasons.
Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Closer job not guaranteed in 2026
Rotowire
General manager Ross Atkins said Thursday that the Blue Jays aren't committed to using Hoffman as their primary closer in 2026, Rob Longley of The Toronto Sun reports.
Although he finished 2025 with a career-high 33 saves, Hoffman's first year in Toronto was met with struggles. He posted a 4.37 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 68 innings during the regular season and, most notably, blew a save during Game 7 of the World Series. Atkins brought up Yimi Garcia (elbow) and Louis Varland as potential options to work the ninth inning next season instead of Hoffman and didn't rule out the possibility of acquiring someone in the offseason to fill the role.
Blue Jays' Robinson Pina: Activated, then outrighted
Rotowire
The Blue Jays activated Pina (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Thursday and outrighted him to Triple-A Buffalo.
Pina was recalled and immediately placed on the 60-day IL with a UCL sprain in September as a means to free up a spot on the 40-man roster. The righty did not require surgery and could be ready for spring training, but it would now be as a non-roster invitee.
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