After seemingly waiving the white flag on the 2026 MLB season, the reigning American League champion Toronto Blue Jays are suddenly back in the hunt for a Wild Card playoff spot with a 72-71 record.
Right now, they hold the third Wild Card spot and are listed at nearly 50 percent odds to advance back to the postseason, a scenario that didn’t seem very likely just over a month ago at the MLB Trade Deadline.
At 52-60, the Jays made the decision to trade pitcher Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs in return for prospects Ty Southisene (previously Chicago’s No. 13 prospect) and Brett Bateman (No. 21).
Gausman recently turned in arguably his best performance of the season in a victory for the Cubs over the Milwaukee Brewers in which he allowed only a single run across seven innings while picking up nine strikeouts with just one walk.
That being said, because the Blue Jays have stormed their way back and put themselves in prime position to return to the postseason, did they jump the gun too quickly on trading Gausman away?
Did The Toronto Blue Jays Make A Mistake In Trading Kevin Gausman?
Now that the Blue Jays are officially back in the thick of things, they may ultimately regret trading Gausman away, especially considering he was an important part of their successful runs in recent years.
Manager John Schneider had no shortage of praise for Gausman, saying that he’ll likely go down as one of the most important free agency acquisitions that the club has ever made.
“I think Kev will go down as one of the best free-agent signings this organization has made, especially from a pitching standpoint,” John Schneider said. “He’s remarkably consistent, a professional, a good teammate, low maintenance, everything that you want in a front-line dude. He pitched in big games, the postseason, the World Series and Opening Day. He’s exactly what you’re hoping for.”
Gausman will be a free agent after this season, and there remains a chance he could choose to return to Toronto.
Kevin Gausman Began His Career In 2013
Gausman entered the Majors as the fourth overall pick by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2012 MLB Draft and reached the majors the following season.
After several seasons in Baltimore, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves in 2018 and later spent time with the Cincinnati Reds before joining the San Francisco Giants.
Gausman found his stride in San Francisco, particularly in 2021, when he went 14-6 with a 2.81 ERA, 227 strikeouts and his first All-Star selection. He carried that success into free agency and signed a five-year, $110 million deal with the Blue Jays, becoming one of the main components of their rotation. Gausman earned another All-Star nod in 2023 and led the American League in strikeouts that season.
During Toronto’s run to the 2025 World Series in which they eventually lost in seven games to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Gausman posted a 2-3 record with a 2.93 ERA.
So far this season split between Toronto and Chicago, he’s gone 9-11 with a 4.38 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and has 165 strikeouts.
Blue Jays May Already Regret Trading Kevin Gausman After Latest Cubs Masterpiece