TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays’ roster could look a lot different after Monday’s trade deadline. Franchise staples and some of the longest-tenured Jays may find themselves in new threads.There’s been a lot of talk about the more than $70 million coming off the Blue Jays’ books this winter and the expiring contracts that could be dealt on deadline day. But with any exodus come openings.If key veterans such as George Springer, Daulton Varsho and Kevin Gausman are gone, the Jays will need a new core to emerge.Can Trey Yesavage get back on track?Derek VanRiper and Eno SarrisVladimir Guerrero Jr., with his MVP potential and franchise-record contract, must be part of the future solution. He must be better than his 2026 self. But starting pitcher Dylan Cease, continuing his Cy Young campaign with one run across six innings in Friday’s 3-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, has made himself a piece to build around, too.“He’s right up there with the best I’ve seen or had on a staff,” manager John Schneider said. “It can be pretty special any given night.”Cease marched off the turf in the first inning, holding his chin up as if he owned the building — or at least the mound. The righty, working with a slight pitch count after a complete game last week, followed two strikeouts in the first inning with five more in his outing.It was the sort of start that’s become normal for Toronto’s top offseason addition. On a team that’s lacked consistency all year, Cease is a rare exception. Maybe his brilliance goes wasted this season, but at least he’s under contract for the next six.The Jays, regardless of what form their 2026 trade deadline takes, will have a lot of work to do this winter. They’ve got four starters and two regular hitters set for free agency. Pencil Cease ahead of Trey Yesavage and a rehabbing Cody Ponce, and they at least have the makings of a future rotation.In five July starts, Cease allowed just four earned runs. His ERA is down to 2.41 on the season, which ranks No. 5 in MLB and second in the American League. He’s traded brilliance for brilliance with Cam Schlittler of the New York Yankees out of the All-Star break, turning the American League Cy Young battle into a two-ace race.With a few more changeups and a little more aggression, Cease has quieted complaints of short outings. He’s gone at least six innings in 10 of 20 starts this year. He wasn’t even entirely dialed in Friday, walking three batters and allowing three hits, yet he still delivered six strong.That’s what reliability looks like.It’s what you expect when you give a guy $210 million, but it doesn’t always work out this way.“It’s nice to have a guy that can do that when he’s not perfect,” Schneider said. “I think he’s evolved as a pitcher. I think he’s in a pretty good groove right now in terms of what he wants to do and where he wants to put the ball.”The hardest things to find in baseball are stars. Teams can build depth and acquire role players regularly, but the carrying forces don’t come around often. Guerrero will need to rediscover his heights for any future version of Toronto to flourish, but Cease just has to sustain his. That pair — alongside Alejandro Kirk, who is under contract through 2030 — are the backbone of this team.When Cease is throwing like this, he’s a pitcher you plan weeks around. He’s a guy you stick at the top of your rotation and then figure out the rest. The Jays had that in Robbie Ray for a season, followed by the fleeting years of Alek Manoah and the bulk of Kevin Gausman’s five-year tenure. Now, though, they need a new rotation champion. Maybe Yesavage can grow into the role eventually, but Cease is doing it already.The 30-year-old has struggled to carry success from year to year. He nearly won a Cy Young in 2022 and followed it up with a 4.58 ERA. He finished fourth in the award’s voting in 2024, then posted another mid-fours ERA the next year. Cease has quieted many doubts already this season, but next year he’ll have to buck the on-and-off trend.If he can carry this version into 2027, Cease makes figuring out the future much easier for Toronto.