Kevin Gausman is a free agent after parts of five seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays. They traded the 35-year-old right-hander to the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 2.
The team received outfielder Brett Bateman and infielder Ty Southisene.
Gausman’s contract expired after the 2026 season. He became a free agent Oct. 29. He turns 36 this January.
Gausman has not announced his plans for 2027. Retirement is possible. So is a return to Toronto.
Kevin Gausman to Retire With $150 Million in Career Earnings
Gausman did not want to leave Toronto. He expressed that he does not want to leave before the trade deadline.
But he could not do anything as the Cubs were not among the eight teams he could block a trade to.
Kevin Gausman wore a Leafs jersey for Halloween — and Blue Jays fans immediately took it as a sign.
The free-agent pitcher’s Toronto-themed look has fans dreaming about a reunion.
The 35-year-old signed a five-year, $110 million contract with Toronto before the 2022 season. The deal averaged $22 million a year. Spotrac puts his career earnings near $154 million. The Toronto contract is the largest part of that total.
In 148 starts for Toronto, Gausman went 53-51 with a 3.62 ERA and 920 strikeouts in 861 innings.
Chicago lost the National League wild-card series to San Diego on Sept. 30. Gausman took the loss in Game 2.
Gausman raised retirement in February. He told The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon it was definitely a possibility. He said his children are only getting older.
Before the season, he said he would love to keep playing for the Blue Jays. He added that the decision depends on what makes sense for both sides.
Kevin Gausman Sells Toronto Home
The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon wrote that a Toronto reunion seems likely if Gausman keeps playing.
The 35-year-old wore an Auston Matthews Toronto Maple Leafs jersey in a Halloween family photo that circulated on social media. Fans responded with calls for a reunion.
However, amid all this speculation, Gausman listed his Toronto home in late October, blogTO reported. The asking price is $6.885 million. The six-bedroom, seven-bathroom house has nearly 5,000 square feet of living space.
He bought the home in March 2022 for $7.65 million. The likely loss is due to the state of Toronto’s real estate market.
Blue Jays’ 5-Year Pitcher to Retire With $154 Million in Career Earnings