logo
The Blue Jays should prioritize extending Kevin Gausman this upcoming offseason
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) throws a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Rogers Centre.
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Ben Wrixon
Feb 14, 2026, 16:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 14, 2026, 12:57 EST
Comments
The Toronto Blue Jays are headed for a free agency dilemma after the 2026 season, with the contracts of both Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber set to expire. While re-signing both could be possible, extending Gausman should be the preferred choice if it ends up being one or the other situation. 
Very few starting pitchers in the game are as consistent as Gausman. He’s made at least 31 starts each of the past five seasons with an ERA of 3.83 or better. All signs point to him putting up strong numbers again after showing no signs of slowing down in 2025. 
Bieber is much less of a certainty. The Blue Jays recently announced that he will start the season on the injured list with forearm fatigue that he first experienced during the postseason. This development comes on the heels of an extended recovery from Tommy John surgery that cost him almost all of 2024 and most of last year as well. 
This might not be a huge deal; the organization could just be opting to take a cautious approach with Bieber after a gruelling World Series run. He might end up being completely fine a few weeks into the season—or this IL stint could be a sign of things to come. It’s not an ideal start to his season, regardless of how it plays out. 
Beyond health and availability, there’s also performance to consider when comparing these two pitchers beyond 2026.  
Gausman has recorded a 119 ERA+ during his four seasons as a Blue Jay, which means he’s been roughly 19% better than league average. He has finished in the top six for Cy Young voting twice and just posted the lowest WHIP of his career last year. 
Bieber, meanwhile, isn’t the same pitcher who won the AL Cy Young award in 2019. He recorded a 3.80 ERA (112 ERA+) in 2023, and worked to a solid 3.57 ERA in his seven starts last year with a less impressive 4.47 FIP. He hasn’t had a K/9 above 8.9 since 2021. 
Gausman turned 35 in January, while Bieber will turn 31 in May, yet in many ways it feels like these ages are reversed. Gausman is likely going to outperform Bieber in volume and rate statistics in 2026, and could very well do it again in 2027, too. 
Handing Gausman a five-year deal at his age wouldn’t be prudent, but it’s hard to argue against him being the better choice for a team currently in its contention window. Shane Bieber is still a very good pitcher. But if the Blue Jays can only have one of them for the next few years, banking on Gausman is probably the safer and better bet. 

PRESENTED BY OFF THE ROSTER

Introducing Off The Roster—Toronto Sports, Unfiltered! Toronto sports fans, your new favourite conversation has arrived. Hosted by Cabbie Richards, Lindsay Dunn, and Dan Riccio, Off The Roster dives into the city’s legendary plays, brutal trades, OG jerseys, celebrity tweets, and everything in between. Raw, fun, and totally unfiltered, this is Toronto sports like you’ve never heard it before. Tune in live every weekday morning on the Nation Network YouTube channel, or catch episodes wherever you stream podcasts. Proudly brought to you by our founding partner, PROLINE. Off The Roster—the new sound in the 6ix.

Featured

Editorials

Breaking News