Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber and Daulton Varsho all landed on Jim Bowden's list of the top 40 free agents this winter. All three spent time with the Blue Jays in 2026.

The Athletic's rankings dropped Tuesday, days before free agency opens. Teams can start signing players five days after the World Series ends.

Gausman ranked 25th. In four and a half seasons with Toronto, he went 53-51 with a 3.62 ERA.

The Jays traded him to the Cubs on Aug. 2 with the club sitting at 52-60. He posted a 4.83 ERA over nine outings in Chicago.

His full 2026 line showed the decline. He finished with a 4.51 ERA over 177.2 innings, his highest ERA in seven seasons.

Bowden noted the splitter still works, but hitters made more hard contact against it and the fastball. His slider hasn't been effective in two years.

Shane Bieber's medicals will drive his free-agent market

Bieber came in 26th. He opted into his $16 million player option to stay in Toronto for 2026, but injuries derailed the year.

He opened the season on the IL with elbow inflammation, likely a carryover from his 2024 Tommy John surgery. He finished with a 4.37 ERA over 11 starts.

August was the bright spot, with a 3-0 record and a 2.59 ERA over four starts. Then mild teres major inflammation ended his year.

Bowden wrote that his offers will depend on the latest medicals. That's the key variable for every interested team, including Toronto.

Varsho rounded out the trio at 30th. Over three and a half seasons with the Jays, he hit .226 with 65 home runs in 464 games.

He's hit 20-plus homers in three of his seven seasons, though shoulder and wrist surgeries have popped up in recent offseasons.

Which of the three should Toronto bring back? Only one.

Bieber is the reunion worth chasing on a short deal. Gausman's decline and Varsho's .226 bat don't fix what's broken in Toronto, and Brett Bateman already took Varsho's job in center.

It's like cleaning out your closet and finding three old jackets. One still fits, and the other two belong to a different chapter.

Free agency opens soon after the Brewers or Rays celebrate. Ross Atkins will get calls on all three, and his answers will tell fans a lot about how he's thinking this winter.