Ex-Pirates arm lands huge contract as Blue Jays bet big on his comeback

According to a report from Jeff Passan, the Toronto Blue Jays are handing former Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Cody Ponce three years and $30 million to bring his career full circle after a monster run in South Korea with the Hanwha Eagles. Yes, the same Ponce who last pitched in MLB in 2021 and once looked like “rotation depth” at best in Pittsburgh.

And of course it’s the Blue Jays doing it.

If this were a movie plot and not a real transaction from Major League Baseball’s multiverse, Pirates fans would demand a rewrite. But here we are. A former Pirate just cashed a $30M check while Pittsburgh is once again asking its fanbase to believe in “internal options” and “marginal upside.”

Let’s be honest: when Ponce wore black and gold, nobody had “future $30 million pitcher” on their bingo card. He was fine. Replaceable. A guy. Then he disappeared into international baseball, and suddenly he becomes Some Dude Who Figured It Out. You know the type. Leaves Pittsburgh, finds a new breaking ball and a little confidence, and re-emerges as a hot commodity.

While Ponce was reinventing himself in Korea, the Pirates were… well, doing Pirates things. Pinching pennies. Cycling through waiver claims. Convincing themselves that this time, the bargain bin will contain a hidden ace. Meanwhile, a former member of the organization quietly rebuilt his value overseas—and now another franchise swoops in and pays for the finished product.

And here’s the part that stings the most: Toronto didn’t just “take a flyer.” They didn’t offer a one-year prove-it deal. They bet big. Thirty million dollars. Three years. Real commitment. Real belief. Real risk.

When was the last time Pittsburgh did that for a comeback arm?

Exactly.

Cody Ponce landing a contract with the Blue Jays feels too familiar for Pirates fans

What makes this sting for Pirates fans isn’t that Ponce will or won’t succeed. Maybe he flames out. Maybe he becomes a middle-of-the-rotation steal. That’s not the point. The point is watching another organization take a bold swing on a former Pirate while the Pirates themselves keep bunting for singles.

Toronto watched the KBO tape. Toronto saw the runway. Toronto opened the checkbook. Pittsburgh once looked at that same pitcher and saw: “eh.” That’s the part that cuts.

So, good for Ponce. Truly. Get your bag. But for Pirates fans, this one’s going to live in the same mental folder as every other ex-Pirate who found success the second they left town. Another reminder that in baseball, sometimes the most frustrating plays are the ones you never even make—like believing in a pitcher before someone else does.