Report: Blue Jays among teams in the mix for Kevin Gausman

The Toronto Blue Jays missed out on the surprisingly dramatic Steven Matz sweepstakes as the left-hander agreed to a four-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday.

With two vacancies in their starting rotation behind Jose Berrios, Alek Manoah and Hyun-Jin Ryu, the Blue Jays reportedly find themselves in the mix for right-hander Kevin Gausman, who is considered to be one of the top pitchers available this offseason. Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports the Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants are possible landing spots for the 30-year-old.

Gausman is coming off a career year after pitching to a 2.81 ERA over 33 starts for the Giants in 2021. He earned his first all-star selection and finished sixth in the National League Cy Young race.

The Colorado native is no stranger to the American League East, having spent the first five-plus seasons of his career with the Baltimore Orioles after being drafted by the club in the first round in 2012. He spent time with the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds before truly breaking out with the Giants over the past two years.

Toronto has been interested in acquiring Gausman in the past, reportedly offering him a three-year contract in the $40-million range last winter, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. Gausman instead elected to bet on himself by accepting the Giants' one-year, $18.9-million qualifying offer. That gamble seems to have paid off as he is poised to cash in on a lucrative deal this offseason.

Beyond Gausman, expect the Blue Jays to be linked to a number of high-profile free agents in the coming months, including a pair of key cogs from the 2021 team in AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray and MVP finalist Marcus Semien.

More from Yahoo Sports