Report: Blue Jays agree to 5-year, $110M deal with Gausman
The Toronto Blue Jays and free-agent right-hander Kevin Gausman agreed to a five-year, $110-million deal, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Toronto finally landed Gausman after pursuing him last offseason. The pitcher reportedly turned down a three-year deal in the $40-million range from the Blue Jays before the 2021 campaign to return to the San Francisco Giants, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
Gausman joins a loaded Toronto rotation that's set to include Hyun Jin Ryu, Jose Berrios, and Alek Manoah.
#BlueJays' rotation options now include:
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) November 29, 2021
Jose Berrios
Kevin Gausman
Hyun-Jin Ryu
Alek Manoah
Ross Stripling
Nate Pearson
And would expect Jays to keep adding there.
The Blue Jays' starting staff was a strength in 2021, ranking fifth in the American League in ERA. However, left-hander Steven Matz departed for the St. Louis Cardinals while AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray remains a free agent.
Gausman, who turns 31 on Jan. 6, is coming off an outstanding two-year stint with the Giants where he went 17-9 with a 3.00 ERA, 3.02 FIP, and 10.9 strikeouts per nine across 251 2/3 innings.
The Colorado native appeared in his first All-Star Game last season and finished sixth in National League Cy Young voting.
Over the course of his nine-year career, Gausman owns a 4.02 ERA, 3.88 FIP, and 8.9 strikeouts per nine with the Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, and Cincinnati Reds.
Multiple other teams were interested in Gausman this offseason, including the Giants, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, and Los Angeles Angels.
Gausman reportedly turned down a more lucrative deal from the Mets to sign with Toronto, a source told SNY's Andy Martino.
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