Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

One of the bigger starting pitching free agents is now off the market.

Right after Jon Morosi reported that talks between the Toronto Blue Blue Jays and RHP Kevin Gausman were starting to gain momentum, Jeff Passan broke the news that the sides have agreed to a five-year, $110 million contract.

Gausman is coming off of a career year in which he went 14-6 with a 2.81 ERA and 227 strikeouts in 192 innings pitched for the San Francisco Giants in 2021. He posted a career best 1.042 WHIP, 3.00 FIP, and his second best K/9IP at 10.6.

While it’s safe to assume that the Blue Jays are getting one of the top starters on the market, it will be difficult for Gausman to manifest a season like he just did where he finished sixth in the NL Cy Young award voting.

The Mets were in on Gausman all weekend, so it will be interesting to keep an eye on for how they might retaliate. Andy Martino reported that the Mets offered the 30-year-old more than the $110 million than he got from the Blue Jays.

The team apparently is heavily invested in signing Max Scherzer, with one reporter saying the Mets are currently the favorites and Martino saying the Mets have offered Scherzer at least $40 million per year. There were reports Gausman didn’t want to leave the West Coast, like Scherzer, but money obviously talks.