The Chicago Cubs traded for Kevin Gausman from the Toronto Blue Jays for a very specific reason.
They wanted a pitcher near ace-level who had postseason experience. Gausman brought that to the table for a Cubs team that was shorthanded on the mound all season long due to injuries.
The Cubs knew all along that they might just get a few months out of Gausman. He was only available in the first place because he was in the last year of his contract.
Still, Chicago likely wondered if they’d be able to keep Gausman around longer than just the end of this season.
Looking at the bigger picture, it seems like that could be tough. Gausman has so many ties specifically to Toronto.
Cubs Could Have Tough Time Keeping Kevin Gausman
Sometimes, it’s hard to recognize just how much a given team or city means to a player.
But recently, one analyst broke down just what Toronto means to Gausman, and it’s hard to read the following words and think Gausman will want to return to Chicago.
“The right-hander also made clear upon being traded away from the Jays that leaving Toronto was an extremely bittersweet experience; Gausman explained that while he relished the opportunity to return to the postseason, Toronto was where he’d raised his daughters and the city had come to feel like home,” writes Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors. “He even spoke of wanting to take his girls to Jays games as a fan and show them around the rest of Canada in his post-playing days. A return to the Jays shouldn’t be a surprise, but Gausman will have a healthy market of interested bidders if he continues pitching.”
Doesn’t that sound like Gausman would be happiest back in Toronto?
Adams even alludes to the idea that Gausman could retire. It seems like a Blue Jays reunion would lower those odds.
There just might not be a ton of pull to stay in Chicago, and that’s not saying anything bad about Chicago.
It’s just about Gausman and where his heart might lie.
Weird Offseason Ahead
Baseball is heading toward a lockout, which will make everything a bit weird.
Some free agents will rush to sign, but others will wait until the sport comes back to get deals.
For pitchers particularly, it’ll be tough to plan their offseason arm workout regimen to be ready for whenever the season decides to randomly arrive.
A veteran pitcher like Gausman might be especially perturbed by such a change in routine.
Will that change Gausman’s final destination? Maybe not, but there’ll be a player or two who do something different this offseason just because of how oddball a winter it ends up being in Major League Baseball.
Cubs Might Lose Kevin Gausman for Heartfelt Reasons