Sometimes, a front office has to decide between moving on from a player a year too early or a year too late.
The Toronto Blue Jays will find themselves in this unenviable position at the 2025 trade deadline if they’re not in the thick of the playoff hunt. At 26-27, it’s too early to tell if that’s where they’ll be, but they’ve yet to prove their consistency.
If the Blue Jays do wind up selling off some pieces, there will be obvious fits for expiring free agents, like Bo Bichette and Chris Bassitt, on opposing teams. But what if a team asks for Kevin Gausman?
Gausman, a two-time All-Star starting pitcher, has a five-year, $110 million contract that runs through 2026. He’s put together two fantastic outings of late, flipping the narrative somewhat on his mediocre start to the season.
Meanwhile, on Monday, Newsweek’s Andrew Wright named Gausman as a trade fit for the Chicago Cubs, an obvious buyer with a desperate need for more frontline starting pitching.
“Gausman is the ace on a Blue Jays team that looks to be a bit stuck. It is unclear if they are going to try and contend in the AL East this season, but if Toronto decides to make moves, Gausman could be a prime trade candidate for the Cubs,” Wright wrote.
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“Gausman could join the Cubs rotation and replace Ben Brown, who has a 6.39 ERA in 10 starts this season. With a proven and trusted arm like Gausman in the rotation, the Cubs rotation depth is among the best in baseball when Imanaga returns from his injury.”
The 34-year-old Gausman has gone 5-4 with a 3.68 ERA through 11 starts this season, striking out 61 batters in 66 innings of work. His 0.94 WHIP is quite impressive, and he’s only allowed one run in his last 16 innings.
It’s a moot point if the Blue Jays are above .500 by the end of July, but Gausman could fetch a much better return with one-and-a-half years left on his deal than he would heading into free agency next summer.
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