Kevin Gausman's durability still stands out on the free-agent market. His fading splitter is why a Blue Jays reunion remains a tough sell.

Few pitchers have been more reliable. Over the last six seasons, his 1,103.1 innings rank second in baseball, behind only Logan Webb.

He's also fourth in fWAR over that span at 25.8, behind Zack Wheeler, Webb and Dylan Cease.

He completed his sixth straight season with at least 170 innings in 2026. That kind of availability has real value.

The Cubs stint had positives, too. His K/BB ratio jumped to 5.18 after the trade, up from 3.53 in Toronto.

So what's the problem? The pitches that used to finish hitters stopped doing their job.

Kevin Gausman's splitter loses its bite after one trip through the order

His splitter's run value went from 8.1 the first time through the order to -6.1 after that. The slider slipped from -1.6 to -3.2.

He finished in the 7th percentile in breaking-ball value this year.

Back in 2023, he sat in the 92nd percentile in overall pitching value.

His fastball still graded in the 87th percentile. He also remains elite in chase rate, whiff rate and walk rate.

That's not enough to justify a Toronto reunion. A starter who falls apart the second time through a lineup is a five-inning pitcher at best, and the Jays need more than that.

He's a great opening act whose second set falls flat. The crowd loves the first few songs, then starts heading for the exits.

Toronto's rotation needs are real, with Cease and José Soriano the only sure things beyond Trey Yesavage. Shane Bieber, Trevor Rogers or Sonny Gray offer more upside.

He has also listed his Toronto home for sale and hasn't decided on retirement. If Gausman keeps pitching, his durability will draw interest, just ideally not from Toronto.