Kevin Gausman may be a free agent, but one city appears to remain closer to his heart than others — if his Halloween outfit is any indicator.
Like many families, Gausman and his brood went out trick-or-treating on Halloween this weekend, but his choice of clothing certainly is drawing attention as he mulls his MLB future.
While one of his daughters dressed up as a witch and the other a cowgirl, the 14-year veteran pitcher was sporting a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey donning captain Auston Matthews’ No. 34.
The family picture was posted on Instagram by Gausman’s wife Taylor, who was wearing a sweater with a pattern featuring colourful pumpkins.
Gausman, who spent four and a half seasons with the Blue Jays before being traded to the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline, is a free agent this off-season and fans are clamouring for a potential reunion in Toronto.
The Gausmans have never been shy about their love for the city and the team could use some help in their starting pitching rotation after suffering through injuries and poor performances down the stretch.
Are the Gausmans selling their Toronto house?
However, there is one sign that the two-time all-star isn’t eying a return north of the border: His uptown Toronto mansion has been put up for sale.
The 5,000-square-foot Lawrence Park mansion reportedly owned by the Gausmans has been listed with Harvey Kalles Real Estate for $6,885,000.
Located in Lytton Park — one of Toronto’s most affluent, upscale neighborhoods — the six-bedroom, seven bathroom mansion boasts many incredible features, including a full chef’s kitchen, elevator and a heated driveway.
According to the listing, the primary bedroom comes with a “spa-like, five-piece ensuite and an expansive walk-in closet.”
Despite listing the house at nearly $6.9 million, the Gausman could be taking a loss on the property. The family bought the mansion, which was built in 2019, for $7.65 million back in 2022, after the pitcher joined the Jays after signing a five-year, $110-million deal.
He pitched for four and a half seasons with the Jays, becoming a fan favourite not just for his strong play, but also by the way Gausman and his family embraced the city and Canadian culture.
What has Gausman said about his future?
Another factor to consider is, with a potential MLB work stoppage looming, if Gausman even wants to continue his MLB career.
In the Cubs locker room after his team was eliminated from the playoffs by the Padres earlier this month, Gausman was non-committal about his baseball future.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” Gausman told reporters. “I have to sit down and talk with my wife and figure that out. I’ve been doing this a pretty long time (14 seasons) and my kids are only getting older. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Gausman started in Game 2 of the best-of-three NL wild-card series, surrendering three runs on five hits with just one strikeout.
“Any time you get swept in the post-season, it’s not fun,” Gausman said. “It’s always going to leave a sour taste in your mouth. But you can’t forget how good this group was.
“It’s always tough leaving a group, saying bye to guys. Unfortunately, I’ve had a lot of heartbreak in this game. I really thought this team had a chance. I had a great time here. I really loved pitching at Wrigley (Field). It was a lot of fun.”