Blue Jays SP Dylan Cease joins FT

00:00:03
Speaker 1: Dylan c is the newest Toronto Blue Day.

00:00:06
Speaker 2: In fact, he is here at the Winter meetings and just did his intro pressor uh to get the hat the whole deal, Dylan. Great to have you here, Congratulations on the big deal and welcome to right now Orlando, but welcome to Toronto.

00:00:19
Speaker 3: Man. How did they all go down? Yeah? It was, honestly, it was. It was a pretty simple process. It didn't it didn't take long. They were aggressive from the start, and uh, yeah, it just happened. I trusted Scott, He gave me great information and it was just a very very seamless process.

00:00:36
Speaker 4: What made it so easy? Seven years and millions they helped away?

00:00:41
Speaker 3: Yeah, that helped a little bit.

00:00:43
Speaker 4: Got it around.

00:00:44
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, that helped. I mean you know that was uh, that was one part of it. You know, were in the World Series last year. Yeah, exactly. It came down to, you know, is a team going to be competitive? Yes, they were able to prove that last year.

00:01:01
Speaker 5: Uh.

00:01:01
Speaker 3: Do I think they can help me maximize my abilities and and help me be more consistent? And I was. I was impressed with with their staff and what they had to say on that on that level, and then obviously the business side of it's important. So it was it was a really good match from the start.

00:01:18
Speaker 5: What did they say on those levels? What did Pete Walker? What did John Schneider? What did what did the front the gurus who were who were there selling you on what you can improve on? What did they say, because they've seen we've seen ace type of stuff from you, we've seen number one type of stuff from you. What did they say that you can tell us that they can unlock?

00:01:41
Speaker 3: Uh? Yeah, they I mean they had you know, they they've obviously got a full staff that's working on different elements of the game, whether it's like biomechanical or pitch design, game planning, all those different elements, and uh, all those different elements and uh you know, I mean they they basically just broke down and said, hey, this is where we think you can improve, this is how we think you can be more consistent these certain areas, and uh, you know, I mean it was, it was. It was very believable.

00:02:11
Speaker 5: Okay, are you more are you more willing to try something new now that you're a locked in free agent? Is that tougher like if they had come to you now. I'm not saying the blue Jays would have come to a picture from the Padres or a picture from the other organization. But if the if Ruben Diebler, who's a great pitching coach in this game, had come to you and be like, hey, you need to change these things in my platform here, rubin no shot, bro, Like, I'm going out. I'm doing what Dylan Cees does so that I can go and be a free agent and my best you know, have my best year.

00:02:47
Speaker 3: I mean, for me, honestly, it comes down to are you getting the results or not? You know, and if if I'm going through a stretch where I'm not having the results that I want, then I'm willing to make whatever change, you know. Uh So it's really as simple as that. You know, the game kind of dictates, you know what needs to be done and are you doing it? And then from there it's my responsibility to figure out how to actually go out and do it. Yeah.

00:03:10
Speaker 2: I don't have a dog in the fight obviously in terms of who I'm rooting for in this case, but it did bother me when so you signed with Toronto and you do see Padres fans like, oh, the Blue Jays aren't going to change anything with him. Rubin diable and I get it, like he's a great pitching coach, But can you just play to how you in spot like you're talking about here and you feel like you can get talked into something else? There's something someone else picture wise to talk to, like the evolution essentially of a picture and how if it does ever stop, you're doing it wrong, right?

00:03:40
Speaker 3: Yeah? Yeah, Yeah. First off, Ruben is a great pitching coach, you know, I mean it, Uh, I can't deny that I'm excited to work with the Blue Jays, you know. And it's uh, you know, I don't know how much I can share, how much they want me sharing about what their actual specific you know, development processes are. But uh, you know, I feel confident there gonna be able to teach me things and be able to show me things that will help me be more consistent, you know, because I mean I've I've always had the talent, you know, I've I've shown it at different times and and spurts of of you know, some greatness, but uh, inconsistency and and and uh not always the most consistent command has been what's holding me back? So uh, you know, I want to develop. I want to whether it's learning a change up or learning a new pitch, or or sequencing or whatever it is. You know, I'm very open minded to to to learning and uh yeah, ultimately, I mean I really want to give them at the end of the seven years, I want the Blue Jays to feel like they got a steal. So I'm going to be very open minded to what they have for me.

00:04:39
Speaker 5: What were the other teams or team that was in the mix.

00:04:44
Speaker 3: Uh, yeah, there were a couple of other teams. I gotta talk to Scott and see if he wants me divulge in that, I think, but.

00:04:52
Speaker 4: There were the teams.

00:04:56
Speaker 3: There are other teams. Yeah, the other teams for sure, But I mean the Blue Jays were the most aggressive, and it was it was a pretty there was a pretty simple process.

00:05:06
Speaker 4: Did they flight to Toronto?

00:05:09
Speaker 3: No, No, it was it was zoom. But you know, I did just recently go to Toronto and do the physicals and do a lot of stuff.

00:05:15
Speaker 6: So because Crat said, if they're doing a zoom, they're not serious. So Crats, but I got Toronto. I mean, you know, they flew show Hey and he didn't even they flew show Hey to Toronto. Remember on that flight and he signed with the Dodgers, but he just did a zoom, So.

00:05:30
Speaker 3: Maybe I'm low maintenance if if you just you know, there's other ways, So there's other ways to show seriousness. And yeah, I haven't seen it. I've heard it's amazing. I mean I've seen it on video, but I mean their facilities and yeah, I mean it's it's uh, it really is. It's Honestly, I consider myself relatively low maintenance. It is it is, uh, extremely adequate for my needs. And say that extremely adequate.

00:06:01
Speaker 4: Okay, what do you need?

00:06:02
Speaker 3: What do I need?

00:06:03
Speaker 4: What do you said your low maintenance?

00:06:04
Speaker 3: You need? Okay, I need good information. I need accountability in the sense of like hey, if I need to be doing something different, or if I need to be you know, whatever it is, I need someone to say, hey, man, this is how you should do it. And then uh, from there, you know, a hot tub's nice, a float tank's nice, A sana is nice. Good food's nice coffee. Coffee I need coffee. Yeah, No, I mean at the end of the day, I really just want to be competent and help my team. And and uh, whether I'm in a very and I'm a minor league facility, the best facility in the world, or in between. I'm really just focused on doing that.

00:06:42
Speaker 6: So, okay, you said accountability, So will you take accountability for when you were at the White Sox not walking, Luisa Rise, when you had two outs of the ninth inning and I was calling the game and I.

00:06:51
Speaker 4: Said, just walk them doing because you will get the no hitter.

00:06:54
Speaker 3: I got one later.

00:06:55
Speaker 4: But no, you take accountability for not walking because I would have got I would have got an Emmy, all these things you would have to no hitters. It would have been the greatest thing ever.

00:07:04
Speaker 3: Bad decision. Uh. In the moment, we got to understand, I'm following the process, and I got him out earlier in the game a couple of times, and in the moment, instead of thinking logically, I was thinking, I'm gonna pitch with you know what's yeah, and just hang it out there, and uh. And it's kind of coward leads and not go after somebody. You know, it's not in the sense of in the sense of, uh, you know, I guess personal accomplishment, yes, but process wise, it's a little bit coward lead to not go after somebody. So I'm sitting there like, all right, I'm gonna get this guy out. Was it a good decision? You got your know it was happy? Yeah, it was a yeah. I do now I do wish that I had yanked a slider right into his foot and not hurt him.

00:07:48
Speaker 4: Seriously talk trash teammates.

00:07:51
Speaker 3: So did he say, no, he's too he's a very nice guy. He didn't, He didn't talk trash. But uh, I let him know. I said, you know what, you're gonna keep me out of the Hall of Fame when i'm when I'm that one no hitter, shy and I've got quantity and now I've got all the things. But I didn't make tall of fame. It's it's your fault.

00:08:06
Speaker 6: How do you stay so durable because one of the big things about you is thirty starts, thirty starts, thirty starts, thirty starts.

00:08:12
Speaker 4: How do you do it? Because nowadays, guys will you know, we.

00:08:15
Speaker 6: Got we got to give him an extra day, and we got to do this and we gotta Yeah, but you're no, I want the ball every fifth day and I'm gonna take it.

00:08:20
Speaker 3: I'm gonna. I mean, there's probably genetic factors, there's definitely you know, I mean, I I take reasonably good care of myself with working out and and all that stuff. So, uh, hold the sea in my phone, you know. Sorry, your hair is just glorious. Yeah, where's the where's the piece?

00:08:43
Speaker 5: There we go?

00:08:44
Speaker 2: Yeah, uh no, Yeah, the flow is Joe is strong.

00:08:52
Speaker 3: There. There we go. H Okay, if anyone I'm not going to hear what he's saying. But what were we talking about? Oh, durability.

00:08:59
Speaker 4: Yeah, the ability and what you do to stay so durable, because it's incredible.

00:09:03
Speaker 3: Like like I was saying, there's probably a genetic factor, there's you know, I put in the work in the off season, I lift my weights and all that, and then a little bit, I think it's just like, no matter what, no matter what, I take the ball and I pitch. If my body hurts, if I'm sick, if I didn't get sleep, if if whatever, you know, I mean, I don't know, I just take the ball. So obviously I think everyone would probably do that, and people's bodies fail them and they don't. So I'm not saying I'm you know, I'm mentally doing anything different. But I'm just saying I go out and I make it a priority to pitch, no matter however, I feel because I feel like it's kind of part of being a man.

00:09:39
Speaker 2: You know, what did you think of the Blue Jays World Series run? Were you watching all of that and then hearing about you know, of course most clubhasses, we love each other all that. It just sounded like there was a lot going on there to.

00:09:53
Speaker 3: Like, Yeah, I watched Game seven. I didn't. I don't watch most of the postseason after my team gets knocked out because I'm a little you know, I don't know, I don't want to watch it. Man, I don't know. It's it's going to be in it, right, Yeah, it's it's a little uh you know, but uh no, I watched. I watch Game seven, and yeah, you know, with the Clubhouse, I've heard nothing but great things about it, and and in general, I mean, I have not heard a bad thing about Toronto as a city. Apparently you're supposed to pronounce it without the T, so Toronto as a city and then uh, you know, the organization, the clubhouse anything. So I'm excited for it.

00:10:25
Speaker 6: So when I played and you get knocked out, I would still watch because I was like, what team do I want to win? Because I hate the least amount of players on the other teams. Right, So if you, like you guys lost with the Cubs. So if I would have lost the Cubs, I'm like, man, guess yeah.

00:10:40
Speaker 4: Right.

00:10:41
Speaker 6: So now that you're on Toronto and they were one game, I mean, they were this far from winning the World Series, how do you help them get back there? And how do you help.

00:10:51
Speaker 4: Them get this much farther to get the ring on your finger?

00:10:55
Speaker 6: Because if you if you watched that series, the crowds are the whole playoffs.

00:10:59
Speaker 3: The crowds are incredible, honestly, I mean the simplest answer is to perform. You know, I'll take the ball every five days into to perform. You know. I don't know what to say other than that.

00:11:11
Speaker 6: Okay, and that's fair, by the way. In Toronto, I don't know people at home that don't know much about you. You're you're you're kind of like a renaissance man because you have a lot of interest away from baseball.

00:11:22
Speaker 4: Disc golf is your thing, right, You're kind of your.

00:11:24
Speaker 3: I got a lot of things, yeah, but disc golf.

00:11:26
Speaker 4: Is one of you. You bought a disc golf.

00:11:28
Speaker 3: I own a couple of courses. I'm trying to make moves in some different areas. It hasn't, it hasn't.

00:11:33
Speaker 4: But does Toronto have disc golf?

00:11:34
Speaker 3: I've heard they do. I heard they do. I'm not going to play for the next seven years. I want to be more on like the uh entrepreneurial side of it. Maybe we'll see, but no, I'm not. Uh yeah, I'm I'm I'm saving my body for for the squad.

00:11:49
Speaker 2: Who will you miss the most teammate wise from the padres?

00:11:54
Speaker 3: Just now, that's a tough one. That's a tough one that more than one name? Can I name more than a couple of Yeah, you can throw a few out there.

00:12:01
Speaker 1: I mean it's like I'll miss this guy's jokes or whatever.

00:12:03
Speaker 3: Yeahah, it's I mean, realistically, I really liked everyone on the team, so I'm gonna miss everybody. I mean, Jason Adams is a great guy, you know. Joe Musgrove, He's good, he's always in high spirits, he's always making dad jokes. He's a good man. He's just a really good man. I'm gonna miss Joe. I mean, that guy is a natural born leader and a bulldog and just another good man. You know. Uh, you know, I'm gonna miss a lot of the staff and miss Michael King to Toronto. I'd be nice, be nice. Mike's Uh, Mike's a sharp guy. He's really sharp. Have you talked to him on here before? Yes?

00:12:38
Speaker 4: Before Michael King?

00:12:40
Speaker 3: Uh no, no, did he really?

00:12:48
Speaker 4: I mean, what does that tell you?

00:12:50
Speaker 2: I mean, there are not many that haven't been on at this point. So maybe we'll get him. After he signed, he'll be really happy. He's a free agent. He's worth having process, He's worth having on here. What about darbage man?

00:13:02
Speaker 3: You? You is one of the most humble, modest guys I've ever met.

00:13:05
Speaker 4: Does he have more pitches than you?

00:13:07
Speaker 3: Yeah?

00:13:07
Speaker 4: Does he have a better slider?

00:13:08
Speaker 3: Not only does he have more pitches than me, He'll go ahead and throw a side arm with all his pitches and that makes fifteen new pitches. So yeah, he's got I mean the way that guy can manipulate a ball. And uh, you know, I mean he's another one. I mean he he he is just modest and doesn't stop trying new things.

00:13:25
Speaker 4: Does he have a better slider than you?

00:13:29
Speaker 6: Because I listen, I caught him in twenty thirteen he had he had the best.

00:13:33
Speaker 4: It's also asked goes Hey who's the best picture. And I said, we got to quantify that because pitcher stuff, all that stuff. I said, the best stuff.

00:13:41
Speaker 6: I've ever seen was prime you darbage, garbage. Yeah, it was his slider literally got halfway there and just went like.

00:13:47
Speaker 3: I mean he struck out what two hundred and eighty guys or something like that. Yeah, I mean crazy, Yeah that it's cool that he really and he probably was still a pitch ability guy then obviously he was a big stuff guy.

00:13:57
Speaker 4: Yeah.

00:13:57
Speaker 3: And uh, and now he's you know, if he wants to throw ninety two, he throws. If you wants to throw ninety six, if you wants to throw sinkers, if you wants to throw splitters, change ups. I mean, there is not a pitch that you dovers can't throw. And I don't know how he does it, you know, I don't know how he does it.

00:14:12
Speaker 1: I've got one more for you.

00:14:12
Speaker 2: A while you mentioned the slider, can you explain, I mean kind of nerd to your baseball question, but like how you go through your process of like your slider shape, right, and what that goes through. I know sometimes you got a tinker and it's been obviously a money pitch for you, but it's not like it's coming out the same way at all times either.

00:14:29
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, Baseball's kind of funny in the sense of sometimes your pitches analytically can say one thing. But if I don't throw it in the proper way, if I don't put my full force behind it, if I don't use my legs properly, maybe I open up early and they see it better. It doesn't always, it doesn't always correlate analytically, which is kind of you know, I mean, I know that makes sense. It's until you experience it as a pitcher, you wouldn't really understand it though. And for me, I mean, you know, obviously, anytime my slider shape gets off, it's concerning because it is my best pitch. But you know, I'm always trying to keep the right amount of depth on it and obviously locating it's always going to take the president. But you know, if if, what I've realized in baseball is if you're if you're on, you can miss down the middle. You can you can you know, you can get away with things and and when you're a little bit off or when something's not happening, then it's you don't have as big of a room of error. So you know that's I'm I'm trying to improve my my areas, my margins. I'm trying to maximize and be more consistent with with the stuff.

00:15:36
Speaker 2: This is a good point though, because stuff plus those kind right or internal metrics. Some teams have that, but it doesn't have deception built into that model.

00:15:45
Speaker 1: They could be like, this pitch is sick.

00:15:46
Speaker 3: Why is it getting hit?

00:15:47
Speaker 1: And it's like because they're seeing it.

00:15:48
Speaker 3: I'm telling you from my experience, there's times where I'm clicking mechanically and my ninety six blows guys away. And there's times where I'm not out in my mechanics, I'm throwing ninety nine and they can see it out of my hand. I don't know how to explain it other that, so I guess, well, you know, I'll get with the guys here in Toronto and and uh, we'll see what they got quickly though.

00:16:07
Speaker 6: I mean, you know a game, if you're like, yeah, man, that really came out good, but the guy whacked it.

00:16:11
Speaker 3: I mean I'd like to say yes, but you know, if you look at my track record, I've had inconsistencies. So sometimes yes, sometimes I go weeks and whatever where where I don't, But I'd like to think as I'm getting older and more mature and more repetitions and more experience, I will be able to adjust that even quicker. Plus a staff behind me that's going to be helping my boom mechanics and all that. You know, they take a lot of the thinking out of it. I can just go out and perform. So short answer, yes, Tracord history.

00:16:40
Speaker 6: That's okay, all right, before we let you go. Last thing, you have your Toronto they had they had? Can you get you to put it on so everyone can see what it looks like?

00:16:48
Speaker 3: Yeah? Had her jersey?

00:16:49
Speaker 4: I mean what jersey? For sure? They have a mess of your hair. Everyone people want to see him in his new jersey.

00:16:56
Speaker 1: Yeah, no joke, Dylan. We have a huge Canadian fans.

00:17:03
Speaker 4: For the Blue Jays.

00:17:06
Speaker 2: They crushed. That's not true. What my team growing up, Matt Matt's. But I'm pretty neutral. I had to call games. But we have a big Blue Jays. They've got We've got a big We.

00:17:19
Speaker 6: Don't want to mess up the flow, So let's not put the hat on jersey with eighty four?

00:17:23
Speaker 4: Yeah, of course I love it.

00:17:27
Speaker 1: He needs help.

00:17:28
Speaker 4: I got him. If he breaks the mic, mark has to buy it.

00:17:34
Speaker 3: There we go.

00:17:36
Speaker 1: That's a good way to to finish the.

00:17:38
Speaker 4: Streets the great way. Yeah sorry, but I know we love it.

00:17:42
Speaker 2: I tell him our our Canadian audiences is strong and great.

00:17:48
Speaker 1: That is krats nose.

00:17:50
Speaker 6: That makes crowds, crowds. What's your hat? You have a you have to you have a blue you have a Dodger's hat on.

00:17:57
Speaker 5: It's supposed to be Doc. Doc was showing up so igs hack. So we'll just be we'll say anything, give.

00:18:07
Speaker 4: You that, all right? Yeah, oh hell yeah.

00:18:11
Speaker 1: I mean this is the day to celebrate.

00:18:16
Speaker 4: You don't need this anymore, all right, where we at nothing, You're perfect.

00:18:21
Speaker 6: I just I'm trying to get out of the shot and we can see that just so other world is glorious. By the way, Yeah, that looks so good on you.

00:18:28
Speaker 4: You know you kind of you get a little bob of ship with the hair going right. I mean, start recruiting. You gotta recruit.

00:18:35
Speaker 6: If I tell man Tony V tell on you earlier, you need to get on the recruiting.

00:18:39
Speaker 3: The good thing is, since I don't know the city, he already.

00:18:41
Speaker 2: Knows, I'm not to sell anything that's true, right, Yeah, pitching staft's getting stronger.

00:18:47
Speaker 1: That's that's the main thing. Good to see you. Thanks for stopping.

00:18:50
Speaker 2: I appreciate its congratulations.

00:18:53
Speaker 1: That's don't cease