"Blue Jays are a joke"; "Dodgers broke them" - Fans erupt as franchise signs KBO MVP Cody Ponce for $30,000,000

The Toronto Blue Jays continued their offseason spending spree after acquiring right-handed starting pitcher Cody Ponce on a three-year, $30 million deal on Tuesday.

The deal comes in the wake of the Blue Jays announcing the acquisition of former San Diego Padres ace Dylan Cease on a franchise record seven-year $210 million contract.

Fans reacted to the Blue Jays, valued at $2.15B by Forbes, signing the 2025 KBO MVP.

"lol the Jays are a joke."

Chris

@spitfyre1980

lol the jays are a joke

"Dodgers broke these mfs 💔"

annoying ohtani fan

@owndodgerhaters

Dodgers broke these mfs 💔

"Blue Jays cooking like they’re speedrunning a full rotation rebuild."

JUP Turkish🪐 🇹🇷

@jupturkey

Blue Jays cooking like they’re speedrunning a full rotation rebuild

"KEEP COOKING, ROSS!!! The AL East will continue to be ours for years to come. Almost won the World Series, and now we’re only getting stronger and stronger!!"

Finn 🇨🇦

@oilersjayscan

KEEP COOKING, ROSS!!! The AL East will continue to be ours for years to come. Almost won the World Series, and now we’re only getting stronger and stronger!!

"Dodgers KBO team ended the Jays that they feel the need to sign anyone to cope."

Dodgers fam

@Dodgerfam25

Dodgers KBO team ended the Jays that they feel the need to sign anyone to cope

"KBO is Double A. But it’s still a good record. But $30mil is a lot . He’s worth $20 the most."

culture17

@cultu54099

KBO is Double A. But it’s still a good record. But $30mil is a lot . He’s worth $20 the most.

Ponce was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2015 draft and made his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in August 2020.

The right-handed starting pitcher then joined the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of NPB in December 2021. Two years later, he signed for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. At the end of the 2024 season, Ponce became a free agent and made the switch to South Korea.

---

Blue Jays strengthen starting rotation with Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce's arrival

Cody Ponce is coming off a career year for the Hanwha Eagles in KBO, earning the top pitching accolade, the Choi Dong-won Award, along with being named the league MVP.

Ponce's acquisition solidifies the Blue Jays' rotation that already looked stacked with the signing of Dylan Cease. Toronto now boasts of six quality starters in Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, Jose Berríos, and Cody Ponce.

They also have a solid depth group beyond the star-studded starters that features Eric Lauer, Bowden Francis, Gage Stanifer, Lazaro Estrada, and Adam Macko.