Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman, right, could be about to pitch his last game in Toronto on Saturday.Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press
By 6 p.m. on Monday, the Toronto Blue Jays roster may look much different. They are struggling in the standings and have a handful of players whose contracts are about to expire.
John Schneider, the team’s manager, sat in his office at Rogers Centre on Friday and mulled what the next 72 hours or so might bring. The team remains on the periphery of the playoff chase but the likelihood of making it is slim.
They have made no moves yet but something is probably coming. And if he knows what that is, Schneider was not saying.
“It’s kind of murky,” he said as he addressed broadcasters and journalists before the start of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. “I haven’t been told by anyone above me that we are selling.”
The clubhouse was quiet before the contest and few team members were available to talk about it. It is a tough time. Some may feel anxious, others sad to think about friends and teammates being shipped out.
The most likely player on the list is starting pitcher Kevin Gausman, who has been a rock for the organization for five seasons. He is 35 years old but retains value for a team that hopes to make a playoff push.
His numbers are only average right now, but since 2022 he is third in innings pitched in the big leagues (855.1), third in strikeouts (916) and fourth in quality starts (80).
He is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Saturday, quite possibly for the last time. He and his wife and two young daughters love Toronto but also understand the reality of his profession.
“I haven’t been told anything,” Gausman told Sportsnet this week. He is due to earn roughly US$7-million over the remainder of the 2026 campaign.
Other Blue Jays whose contracts end at the conclusion of the season are veterans George Springer, Shane Bieber and Daulton Varsho.
Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer singles against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
Springer is 36 and has had a subpar year after an excellent one in 2025, when Toronto reached the World Series for the first time since 1993. His batting average has risen recently and he could be of interest to a playoff contender.
Bieber has been injured for much of the year and has thrown only 31 1/3 innings. He walked six batters in the first inning in a terrible outing this week and is nearing the completion of a one-year, US$17-million contract. Whether a team would find him attractive is unclear.
Varsho has lost a step in the outfield, and was batting .247 headed into Friday evening’s game with just seven home runs and 26 runs batted in. At 30, though, he looks like he could be a palatable risk for someone.
There are others worth mentioning, too. Jeff Hoffman lost his job as the closing reliever but has been excellent for the last month and may generate interest. Max Scherzer is scheduled to start on Sunday, is 42 and finishing the worst season of his career.
And if there is any chance that a blockbuster trade is perhaps coming for catcher Alejandro Kirk or shortstop Andres Gimenez, it is well hidden.
Schneider talked a bit about the situation only in general.
“You can’t live in the hypothetical,” he said. “You can’t live in that world. We are where we are right now. There is no skating around it. Whatever happens will happen. It is part of the game and we all sign up for it.”
Myles Straw sat at his dressing stall a few hours before the first pitch and talked quietly about the next several days. He is a speedy substitute outfielder and could add outfield depth to a contender.
In 2021, he was traded on deadline day from Houston to Cleveland.
“It came as a complete surprise,” he said. “Sometimes it sucks to be a ball player, but it is a business and we understand that.”
Then he went on.
“Something will probably happen,” Straw said. “I don’t want to leave. We have kids and they love it here.”