Outgoing: Marcus Semien to Rangers, Incoming: Kevin Gausman to Jays
November 29, 2021
By Drew Hendriks
Canadian Baseball Network
The Toronto Blue Jays and free-agent right-hander Kevin Gausman have come to terms on a five-year, $110 million US pact.
It was a day of coming and going as Blue Jays free agent INF Marcus Semien departed agreeing to seven-year, $175 million contract with the Texas Rangers and Gausman joined the Toronto rotation.
Gausman, 30, has appeared in parts of nine seasons at the big-league level, posting a cumulative ERA of 4.02 across 236 appearances dating back to his rookie campaign with the Baltimore Orioles in 2013.
A first time All-Star last July, the 6-foot-2 product of Centennial, Col., went 14-6 while allowing 60 earned runs over a career-high 192 innings with the San Francisco Giants in 2021. With regards to his National League peers, the former first-round draft pick (2012) ranked fourth in strikeouts (227), seventh in WHIP (2.81), and finished sixth in senior circuit Cy Young voting.
Toronto had initially targeted Gausman’s services last winter. However, the hard-throwing righty passed on a multi-year deal and accepted an $18.9 million qualifying offer to remain with San Francisco.
With the Blue Jays, Gausman joins a rotation that currently includes Jose Berrios, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Alek Manoah. In contention for the fifth and final rotation spot are Nate Pearson, Ross Stripling, and Anthony Kay .
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