Baseball
Blue Jays lose Marcus Semien, gain Kevin Gausman in free agency
You win some and lose some when it comes to free agency in professional sports. The Toronto Blue Jays lived that truth over the weekend.
Lets start with the bad news. Free agent infielder Marcus Semien, who played with the Blue Jays in 2021, has signed with the Texas Rangers for a reported seven-year, $175 million deal that will have him under contract up until he is 38 years old.
This comes as a big blow to Toronto as Semien played a significant role in the team’s lineup. Not only did he finish third in AL MVP voting, but he won a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger Award and was named to the All-MLB first team as a result of his incredible performance in 2021.
Fortunately for the Blue Jays, they lucked out on the pitching front and added one of the most sought after free agent righties to bolster their already formidable rotation. The team announced that they have signed veteran starter Kevin Gausman to a five-year, $110 million contract.
The 30-year old is coming off a career year with the San Francisco Giants where he posted a 14-6 record, 2.81 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 3.00 FIP over a span of 33 starts and 192 innings pitched. The production rivals that of Blue Jays ace Robbie Ray, who won the AL Cy Young Award this past season and is currently a free agent.