The Toronto Blue Jays could add another arm to the starting rotation and are set to do so as the club is currently talking contract with free agent right-hander Yovani Gallardo, according to a report from Chris Cotillo of SB Nation on Friday night.

Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reported on Thursday afternoon that the team has been showing interest in the 29-year-old throughout free agency and negotiations between the two sides were getting set to take place.

At this time, there is said to be minimal dialogue with regards to a potential contract given the fact talks only started today.

It is entirely possible that interest could intensify over the course of the next few days, which could lead to the possibility of a deal being announced sometime next week if all goes smoothly.

Looking at the organization side of things, this would be a fantastic move, not only for the team itself but for GM Mark Shapiro who may just be getting the fans behind him for the first time as he looks to see what can be done to get this ballclub to the playoffs in October. Looking back at the transactions that took place this week, RHP Drew Storen was brought in from the Washington Nationals in exchange for outfielder Ben Revere, putting another experienced arm in the back of the bullpen.

In terms of what the Blue Jays are willing to put out to get Gallardo on their side, that remains a question because they might just have to part with a draft pick to bring him aboard.

Shapiro has spoken well about Gallardo where he said on Thursday, "He’s the kind of guy that would make us better. He’s the kind of guy you’d like to have. Whether or not, from a resource perspective, we still have enough to make a move like that — that’s still a variable that exists, but we do have some flexibility still. Thinking about how we use those resources is still a question.” 

Asked about the draft pick attached to Gallardo, Shapiro said it is indeed a factor, but not one that would immediately close the door on a deal. Shapiro called the draft pick forfeiture a “premium you’re paying on top of the salary."

As noted by MLBTradeRumors, it is said that the Blue Jays have reached out to Gallardo's representatives at Octogon as details have been vague thus far.

Rumors have been swirling of late saying that there was a possibility RHP R.A. Dickey could be seeing his last days in Toronto with the team, as he nearly left for Washington when discussions became more advanced in terms of who goes in order to acquire Storen.

Gallardo would ultimately be his replacement, however, if not, he would add another veteran arm and depth to the starting rotation. As for what that could look like come 2016, Marcus Stroman could still have the lead which could put Gallardo behind him, followed by Dickey, RHP Marco Estrada and RHP Drew Hutchison. That would mean RHP Jesse Sanchez gets booted to the bullpen.

If Toronto does indeed start an aggressive pursuit for Gallardo, they may need to put together a creative move to bring him in as they have already committed $95.75 million to their 2016 payroll, which includes all arbitration cases that were agreed to on Friday.

Unless the team is willing to part ways with someone with a guaranteed salary or a notable arbitration projection, that would likely be the only way Gallardo would fit into the mix as a budget is in place.

Other team's currently showing interest in Gallardo’s services include the Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros. Kansas City could quickly back off as they are said to be close to signing another free agent right-hander in Ian Kennedy who spent 2015 with the San Diego Padres.

There is no knowledge of the extent of interest that the Blue Jays are currently showing in Gallardo, which only makes the likeliness of a signing that much more of a long shot. However, they will remain among the list of primary suitors considered for a potential landing spot for the time being.