Blue Jays insider sheds light on Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt's future in Toronto after $30M Cody Ponce move

Having already signed Dylan Cease in late November, the Toronto Blue Jays added more quality to their starting rotation on Tuesday, signing Cody Ponce to a three-year, $30 million deal.

Ponce enjoyed a standout 2025 season with the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League, winning the Choi Dong-won award, the South Korean equivalent of Major League Baseball's Cy Young Award.

With the Jays' rotation now boasting plenty of depth and quality, insider Ben Nicholson-Smith speculated what this might mean for the future of veterans Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt.

"These guys (Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt) are just on a different level when it comes to how competitive they are, and how insane they are when it comes to their preparation," Nicholson-Smith said (Timestamp: 1:15:57). On the field, it was so fun to watch.

"But yeah, on paper it is not as clean of a fit (for them in Toronto). They are going to have better opportunities elsewhere. So I would anticipate that they sign elsewhere."

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"You can make an argument that the Blue Jays have the best rotation in the American League" - former Mets GM gives his verdict on Toronto's starting rotation

Speaking to MLB Network Radio on Wednesday, former New York Mets general manager Steve Phillips claimed Toronto boasted arguably the best starting rotation in the AL, after the recent acquisitions of Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce.

"You start thinking about now about the Blue Jays pitching," Phillips said. "[They have] Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, Jose Berrios, Eric Lauer, and Cody Ponce.

"They've got depth in their farm system of pitchers. Right now, you're looking at them being about as deep as any team in baseball. You can make an argument that the Blue Jays have the best rotation in the American League."

Cody Ponce during his stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates - Source: Getty

Despite making sizeable investments in their pitching staff, the Blue Jays are expected to remain quite active in the market, as they look to build on the success of 2025.

One of the protagonists of that success, infielder Bo Bichette, who is now a free agent, continues to be linked with a return to Toronto. Additionally, reports have also claimed the AL East champions may be targeting reinforcements in the outfield.