Springer excited to welcome returning Bieber, new pitchers Cease and Ponce to Jays

TORONTO — A reloaded Toronto Blue Jays starting rotation has George Springer excited, not necessarily to take another run at the World Series, but to welcome the pitchers the clubhouse.

Springer spoke at a charity function on Wednesday about Shane Bieber taking the player option to stay in Toronto, as well as free agents Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce signing with the Blue Jays. Those three plus Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage and Jose Berrios will give Toronto one of the deepest rotations in Major League Baseball in 2026.

“Oh, it’s exciting. I mean, obviously, we get to see Shane again. I love the guy,” said Springer, sitting in a downtown Toronto restaurant during a Make-A-Wish Foundation event. “He sticks around, which is huge for us.

“He was awesome in the clubhouse, awesome on the field.”

Bieber, whose option is worth US$16 million, elected to return to the Blue Jays on Nov. 5, rather than enter the open market as a free agent. The 30-year-old was 4-2 and posted a 3.57 earned-run average with Toronto after being acquired from the Cleveland Guardians at the trade deadline last summer.

He was instrumental in Toronto’s run to the World Series, earning a 2-1 post-season record with a 3.86 ERA. The Blue Jays lost to the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games, with Bieber giving up the go-ahead home run to Will Smith in the 11th inning of Toronto’s 5-4 loss at Rogers Centre.

The Blue Jays confirmed on Tuesday that Cease signed a seven-year deal worth US$210 million, the largest free-agent contract in franchise history. Hours later, Toronto reportedly signed a three-year, $30 million deal with right-hander Ponce.

“I think we’ve all seen Cease pitch, and we’ve all had to face him. It’s not fun,” said Springer. “To have a guy like that in our clubhouse will be great, not just with the stuff he can do on the field, but what I’ve been told he can do in the clubhouse.

“Obviously, late last night, it was a big one as well, with Ponce is so exciting. It’s a great time for us as a team.”

Since making his big-league debut with Cleveland in 2018, Bieber has a 66-34 record with 3.24 ERA. He won the American League Cy Young Award in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign after going 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA for the Guardians.

Cease has a 65-58 record over seven MLB seasons with the Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres. He has a career 3.88 earned-run average with 1,231 strikeouts.

Perhaps more important is his remarkable consistency. He has started in at least 32 games in each of the last five seasons, with a minimum of 214 strikeouts in each of those years.

The 31-year-old Ponce recently won MVP honours in the Korea Baseball Organization with the Hanwha Eagles. He went 17-1 with a 1.89 ERA along with 252 strikeouts.

Springer didn’t want to get ahead of himself with the possibility of the Blue Jays running it back to the World Series.

“I mean, that’s the goal, obviously, but to get to the World Series is hard,” said Springer. “Obviously, not to close it out, it’s hard too, but I’m excited for what lies ahead, for sure.”

The 36-year-old Springer had a resurgent season in 2025, hitting .309 with 32 home runs, 106 runs, 84 runs batted in and 18 stolen bases. He hit .284 with four homers and 10 RBIs through three playoff rounds this autumn.

Springer said he’s been “being dad” since Toronto’s Game 7 loss on Nov. 1.

“I got to go home and spend a lot of good moments with my kids and my wife and just kind of get away from the game and enjoy being a dad,” he said. “I think we kind of all process things in our own way.

“I try not to think about it obviously, but at the same time, I’m just so proud of what we did as a team. A lot of pride. There’s a lot to hang our hat on.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2025.