The Toronto Blue Jays, after a strong start to the season, have found themselves slipping to fourth place, prompting concerns about their playoff prospects and potential trade decisions. Last year, they sold multiple players at the trade deadline, and this year, they face similar decisions if they continue to fall out of playoff contention. Baseball insider Jon Heyman suggested that the Blue Jays might consider trading Kevin Gausman, a two-time All-Star pitcher with a $105 million contract, if they're not in the playoff race by the deadline. Gausman, despite a solid start, suffered a poor performance against the Yankees, which heavily influenced his current 4.50 ERA. If his performance stabilizes, the Blue Jays could potentially secure a significant prospect package in exchange for Gausman, though they hope to avoid such a scenario by remaining competitive in the playoff race.

The Toronto Blue Jays experienced a promising start to the season, initially leading their division and extending first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s contract, but have since slipped to fourth place, raising concerns about their trajectory.

Last season, after falling out of contention, the Blue Jays traded several players at the deadline, and they face a similar situation this year if their performance doesn't improve.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post mentioned on MLB Network that the Blue Jays might trade pitcher Kevin Gausman, who is under a five-year, $105 million contract, if they are not in the playoff race by the trade deadline.

Gausman has had a solid start to the season, despite a recent poor performance against the New York Yankees, which negatively impacted his ERA to 4.50.

If Gausman can return to his usual performance levels, he could attract a significant return in terms of prospects, providing the Blue Jays with valuable assets for the future.

The Blue Jays hope to avoid a repeat of last year's sell-off by maintaining their competitiveness and remaining in the playoff hunt, but the prospect of trading Gausman is a consideration if they continue to struggle.

Jackson Roberts, the article's author, is a sports writer with a background in baseball and a personal interest in various sports teams, providing context to his analysis of the Blue Jays' situation.

The Toronto Blue Jays' season could still swing in many different directions.

Two weeks into the season, the vibes were high, as the Blue Jays were in first place and announcing an extension for first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Two weeks later, they're down in fourth place, and they've got to be careful the slide doesn't continue.

Last year, the last-place Blue Jays sold off numerous pieces at the trade deadline. They've got even more chips to move this year if they wind up falling out of the playoff hunt, but they desperately hope that doesn't wind up happening.

However, the rest of us can at least start imagining a world where it does. And according to one baseball insider, there is a two-time All-Star starting pitcher who may need to think about moving services.

On Tuesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post appeared on MLB Network, saying that Toronto could trade star righty Kevin Gausman, whose five-year, $105 million contract runs through 2026, if they're out of the race by the deadline.

"How about Toronto? They've got some great starting pitchers," Heyman said when asked about teams who could have top-end hurlers to deal.

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"Gausman is off to a solid start; had one bad outing here against New York, but he's obviously a very very good pitcher for a long time."

Gausman, 34, is off to a 2-3 start this season with a 4.50 ERA in 34 innings. That's heavily influenced by his most recent start, in which he surrendered six earned runs in 2 2/3 innings to the New York Yankees.

As long as Gausman's numbers return to their relative norms across his last five years, he should command a hefty prospect package if the Blue Jays choose to cut bait with him a year early. Perhaps they won't want to do so even if they're out of the race, but it's definitely something to ponder.

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