10 things you need to know about Kevin Gausman, the Blue Jays’ $110 million man

Toronto first reportedly landed free agent right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia on Saturday, signing him to an $11 million deal over two years, with a club option for a third, according to TSN’s Scott Mitchell.

And the Jays went even bigger Sunday, landing free agent starter Kevin Gausman to a five-year contract worth $110 million.

Bolstering the rotation was a priority for the Jays this off-season, with free agents Robbie Ray and Steven Matz, who has already signed with the St.

He landed at Louisiana State University, pitching two seasons for the Tigers, posting a 3.08 ERA in 213 1/3 innings and winning a host of individual awards in his sophomore season, including 2012 Louisiana pitcher of the year honours.

Gausman also shared a quirky habit that he added to his routine in middle school — eating three mini powdered doughnuts between innings.

He made his debut at the Rogers Centre on May 23, 2013, pitching five innings for the Orioles.

After Halladay died in a plane crash in November 2017, Gausman announced on Instagram he would wear the No.

“To me, Roy gave me the inspiration to fulfil even my biggest of dreams — being a pitcher just like him,” Gausman wrote at the time.

While Gausman had been a mainstay in the Orioles’ rotation from 2014, peaking with a 3.61 ERA in 30 starts in 2016, he hadn’t necessarily fulfilled expectations.

It was in Cincinnati that he met pitching coach Derek Johnson, who noticed Gausman was picking up his target too late, causing command issues in the zone.

Gausman’s splitter, which he threw 1,061 times in 2021, was the difference last season, his first all-star turn.

Gausman told Sportsnet at this summer’s all-star game that Toronto made a “very competitive” offer to him last off-season, but his decision to stay with the Giants came down to comfort, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the final number for Gausman is less than he was projected to earn, with MLB Trade Rumours predicting he would sign for around $138 million and Fangraphs putting a “median expectation” for a Gausman deal at $114 million.

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