Cody Ponce's $30 million deal with the Blue Jays has produced 2.1 innings so far. He's on track for spring training, but nobody knows what Toronto will actually get.

The injury came in his debut on March 30 against the Rockies. He hurt his right knee on a play at first base in the third inning and needed ACL surgery.

That wiped out the first $10 million of the contract. Two years and $20 million remain.

The good news is the rehab. MLB.com's latest injury report shows he has progressed to throwing and is expected to be ready for spring training.

Toronto bet on him because of a monster season in Korea. With the Hanwha Eagles, he went 17-1 with a 1.89 ERA.

He struck out 252 batters over 180.2 innings and won KBO MVP. It was the peak of a four-year overseas reinvention in Japan and South Korea.

Cody Ponce has never completed a full MLB season as a starter

His first MLB stint was forgettable. Drafted by the Brewers in 2015, he was traded to the Pirates in 2019, debuted in 2020 and was released in 2021.

So what is Toronto really getting in 2027? A KBO MVP coming off major knee surgery, with almost no big-league track record.

Medical clearance and MLB production are two different things. The knee also has to hold up under a starter's workload across a full season.

The rotation has room. Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage and José Soriano are set, with Spencer Arrighetti and Bowden Francis also in the mix.

José Berrios is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, and Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer are free agents.

Ponce deserves a chance to compete, but Toronto can't pencil him in. Treat him as a bonus, sign real rotation depth and let him earn a spot.

He's a lottery ticket the Jays already paid for. Scratch it in spring, but don't spend the winnings yet.

If the KBO version shows up, Toronto's rotation gets a real boost. If not, the contract becomes one of the most expensive lessons of the Ross Atkins era.