Blue Jays give starter Kevin Gausman five-year, $110M deal?

The Toronto Blue Jays acted quickly to ensure that their rotation would stay strong for the 2022 season.

According to multiple reports, the Blue Jays agreed to a five-year contract with starting pitcher Kevin Gausman. The deal is worth $110 million, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

The Blue Jays were almost certain to address their pitching in some way. Last season, they were paced by AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray. They run the risk of losing him, however, as he is an in-demand free agent.

Gausman makes sense for Toronto after he revived his career with the San Francisco Giants. The 30-year-old is coming off the best season of his career, posting a 2.81 ERA in 33 starts. There’s always risk in paying a guy coming off a career year, but Gausman had pitched well in spurts before 2021 as well.

One thing to watch is the fact that Gausman is primarily a ground-ball pitcher. That is something the Jays may have to consider after losing a key part of their infield earlier Sunday.