Kevin Gausman is considering retiring in 2026.

For the past four years, the Blue Jays have been fortunate to have Kevin Gausman on their roster.

The pitcher is enjoying the best years of his career in Toronto (though he wasn't too shabby in San Francisco either) and has never been injured since arriving in the city. Without him, things would be more difficult.

The $110 million contract signed before the 2022 season is clearly one of the best deals made by Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro.

But now, the pitcher (who will be playing on the fringe of his 35-year-old season in 2026) is one year away from the end of his contract. Does that mean the Blue Jays should be afraid of losing him to another team?

The Canadian club may be afraid of losing him, but not necessarily to another team.

As the man himself said to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, he is thinking more and more about retirement. And Gausman has publicly opened the door to retiring in 2026, at the end of the upcoming season.

https://twitter.com/MitchBannon/status/2024480370683465784

Could Gausman pitch elsewhere in 2027, in what is likely to be a shortened season? It's possible, but it doesn't seem likely. Could he stay? It seems that if he wanted to pitch in 2027, Toronto would be at the top of his list.

But the father is watching his children grow up far away from him (his family is not in Toronto full-time) and he wonders when he will have to stop playing to be with them full-time.

Gausman was drafted in 2012 and began his career in 2013. 2026 will be his 14th season in major league baseball, and perhaps in a few months, he will realize that he doesn't have what it takes (in terms of motivation) to continue.

That's something to keep in mind, in any case.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.