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Kevin Gausman’s free agency is expected to draw plenty of attention around Major League Baseball. He’s coming off the best season of his career and some scouts view him as a safer bet when compared to 37-year-old Max Scherzer, as great as he is.
Kevin Gausman‘s free agent fits aren’t hard to think of. Multiple teams are in desperate need of a top-notch pitcher such as him. The Yankees, Mets, Rangers, Cubs, are just some of the teams that come to mind. Then again, none of them seem to be realistic options either due to financial or competitiveness issues.
Kevin Gausman free agency 2021-22
At 31-years-old, the San Francisco Giants’ ace posted career-bests in ERA (2.81), WHIP (1.04), strikeouts (227), and innings (192). Now, he’s expected to be the highest-earning pitcher in the offseason, with a contract projected at nearly $138 million.
The Giants will try to re-sign Gausman at all costs, as Johnny Cueto, Anthony DeSclafani, and Alex Wood will also become free agents. Nonetheless, they may not be his preferred destination when all teams are done making their pitch. Here, we’re going to discuss the four destinations that would make the most sense for him.
4. Mariners
The Seattle Mariners were one of the most surprising teams of the season, even winning more games than the World Series champions Atlanta Braves. They will look to build on that impressive performance and will be one of the teams with the most cash to spare in the offseason.
Marco Gonzalez was far from the ace they expected him to be and Yusei Kikuchi struggled in the second half of the season. Gausman would instantly slide into the number 1 spot in their rotation while still being able to fetch nearly $140 million in his contract. They have a bright future and only need a couple of pieces to end their playoff drought.
3. Angels
New year, same old Los Angeles Angels. Joe Maddon‘s team entered the season with high hopes and expectations but Anthony Rendon struggled to stay healthy and Mike Trout was shut down for most of the season. Not even Shohei Ohtani‘s MVP-caliber season was enough to keep them afloat.
The Angels are expected to be in the mix for several free-agent pitchers this offseason. They’re reportedly set to pursue Robbie Ray, Max Scherzer, and Kevin Gausman. Their rotation is finally taking shape but they need an ace and more help in the bullpen.
2. Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox experienced plenty of ups and downs throughout the season and a lot of that was due to their shaky starting rotation, which was even worse than their bullpen. Outside of Nick Pivetta, Nathan Eovaldi, and Chris Sale; they mostly struggled.
The Red Sox have enough offensive power to compete in the American League East division but need to add more reliable arms to that rotation. Gausman will be their second starter behind Chris Sale and instantly boost their chances in one of baseball’s toughest divisions. Among Gausman’s free agent fits, this could make the most sense.
1. Giants
It seems like the SF Giants offseason plan consists of improving an already scary starting rotation, meaning that they may not want to let Kevin Gausman walk away. They’re also expected to pursue Max Scherzer, Marcus Stroman, and even Justin Verlander.
The Giants are coming off winning a franchise-record 107 games and Gausman was one of the biggest reasons why that happened.
They’d be wise to try and run it back and focus on re-signing Kris Bryant and replacing Buster Posey instead of trying to fix what’s not broken. They need to keep their right hander.
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