Little hope remains for the Toronto Blue Jays to make the playoffs this year. With more than two-thirds of the season complete, the Blue Jays (52-59) sit in last place in the AL East and could become sellers at the trade deadline. That means time may be running out in Toronto for several players on expiring contracts, including veteran starter Kevin Gausman. Ahead of what could be his final home start before Monday’s trade deadline, the 35-year-old shared a heartfelt message with the fans.

“I think of myself as a Blue Jay,” Gausman said, per Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling on X. “It’s the most consistent team I’ve been on. I hope [fans] realize that I’ve embraced not just the team, but the country. I really love this city and everything that it stands for. The best decision I’ve ever made is to come here.”

In the offseason of 2021, Kevin Gausman chose the Toronto Blue Jays over the New York Mets. He signed a five-year, $110 million deal with the club.

In his five years and 148 starts with the Blue Jays, Gausman has recorded some of his best performances. In 2023, he led the AL in strikeouts, recording 237 strikeouts during that season. Gausman made franchise history, ranking eighth in terms of quality starts, per The Athletic. Yet those achievements do not change the reality that Gausman may not finish the season in a Blue Jays uniform.

Reports indicate that Gausman holds an eight-team no-trade clause, giving him the ability to avoid deals involving the Reds, Tigers, Brewers, Pirates, A’s, White Sox, Mets, or Mariners. Any potential move to the remaining 21 MLB clubs would be beyond his control. Among the teams monitoring him, the Phillies recently attended his latest start and have consistently surfaced as a possible landing spot over the past week.

As uncertainty looms over Gausman’s future, the possibility alone is enough to stir emotions, especially before what could be his final game at Rogers Centre. While he has expressed a desire to sign a contract extension with the club, there has been no indication that the team has initiated negotiations.

“As much as you can try to not think about it, it’s going to creep into your mind throughout the day. It was tough to not think about it,” Gausman said.

On Saturday, Gausman led the Blue Jays to back-to-back wins against the St. Louis Cardinals. During their 5-1 win, Gausman threw 5.2 innings while allowing only one run on nine hits. Masyn Winn’s RBI double off Gausman’s 94 mph four-seamer happened to be the only run the Cardinals scored. The veteran starter issued one walk while striking out 4.

As for the Blue Jays, George Springer’s RBI single opened the scoreboard. Then, in the seventh inning, Springer drove in another RBI double. With that, Toronto’s latest victory marked its eighth consecutive win over St. Louis, making the Blue Jays the first AL club to accomplish that feat against the Cardinals. The losing streak is St. Louis’ longest against one team since a nine-game slide versus the Mets that stretched from April 28, 2024, to May 2, 2025.

After Gausman took the latest win for the Blue Jays, his wife, Taylor Gausman, took to Instagram to share her appreciation for the player.

Posting a picture of their family of four, Taylor Gausman wrote, “Always proud of this guy.”

For now, Gausman’s future remains up in the air, but his words made one thing clear: his appreciation for Toronto and its fan base is genuine.