The Chicago Cubs are getting a much-needed boost to their rotation depth by acquiring right-hander Kevin Gausman from the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of Monday’s trade deadline, according to reports Sunday night by ESPN and The Athletic.
The Athletic additionally reported that the Blue Jays are getting a pair of prospects, shortstop Ty Southisene and outfielder Brett Bateman, in exchange for shipping the veteran off to playoff-contending Chicago before his five-year, $110 million contract expires at the end of this season.
Gausman, 35, has taken a step back in production this season with a 5-10 record and 4.38 ERA over 23 starts and 127 1/3 innings during his fifth season in Toronto. However, this season has been an anomaly relative to a strong recent run of success for Gausman, who posted an ERA of 3.83 or better in each of the prior six seasons.
His best stint came from 2021-23, when he posted three consecutive top-10 Cy Young finishes and earned his only two career All-Star nods with a 38-25 record and 3.10 ERA with 669 strikeouts and 133 walks over 95 starts spanning 551 2/3 innings for the San Francisco Giants (2021) and Blue Jays (2022-23).
Over 14 major league seasons, Gausman has a 117-123 record and 3.85 ERA over 384 regular-season appearances (345 starts). He’s also made 14 appearances (eight starts) across six separate postseasons.
Six of those outings (five starts) came last season on Toronto’s run to the American League championship and a World Series loss to the Dodgers. Gausman had a 2-3 record and 2.93 ERA in last year’s postseason. He took the loss as the starter of Game 2 and Game 6 of the World Series, allowing a combined six runs on seven hits over 12 2/3 innings.
Chicago, which is currently four games clear atop the National League wild-card standings, has battled injuries to its starting pitching all season.
Cade Horton made just two starts before undergoing season-ending elbow surgery. Justin Steele missed almost all of the 2025 season after having Tommy John surgery, and then sustained a setback in his recovery which has still not allowed him to pitch in a game this season. Edward Cabrera has been sidelined with hamstring and adductor strains but is nearing an expected return date this month.
Southisene, 21, is the Cubs’ No. 13 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The fourth-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft was elevated to High-A South Bend in May and is hitting .326 with a .451 on-base percentage, 27 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 44 games at that level.
Bateman, 24, is the Cubs’ 21st-ranked prospect. He’s spent this entire season at Triple-A Iowa, hitting .312 with three homers, 18 doubles, 33 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 82 games.
–Field Level Media
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