Kevin Gausman Will Not Block Trade To Cubs

The Chicago Cubs will be targeting starting pitching at this year’s trade deadline. 

They definitely need to acquire that top-of-the-line starting pitcher because their current rotation group needs some help. Jameson Taillon, David Peterson, and Colin Rea all have ERAs over 4.75 at this point in the season. 

The good news for the Cubs is that several top starting pitchers could be available at the August 3rd trade deadline. Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, Robbie Ray, Casey Mize, Foster Griffin, Clay Holmes, Joe Ryan, and Reid Detmers could all be moved in the coming weeks. 

Another veteran pitcher has also been added to that group, as the Blue Jays are looking to trade Kevin Gausman by the August 3rd deadline. MLB insider Pat Ragazzo reported that Toronto is starting to listen to offers for the veteran right-hander. 

Since the Blue Jays are 6 ½ games back from the final Wild Card spot, they could look to sell players on expiring contracts. Gausman is in the final year of his deal with Toronto and will be a free agent at the end of the 2026 campaign. 

Gausman has no doubt had an uneven start to the year. He has a 4.51 ERA, 1.280 WHIP, and 117 strikeouts across 115 ⅔ innings. That’s a big difference from his 2025 numbers, when he finished with a 3.59 ERA, 1.062 WHIP, and 189 strikeouts in 193 innings. 

Unfortunately, things have been even worse for Gausman as of late. He has a 6.56 ERA since the beginning of June and has allowed at least four earned runs in six of his last nine starts. In his most recent start against the Rays, the Blue Jays right-hander allowed five runs (four earned runs) across 3 ⅓ innings. 

But despite his poor numbers this year, Gausman is a nice fit for the Cubs. 

The two-time All-Star has pitched better than his numbers suggest. His expected ERA (4.02), FIP (3.68), and expected FIP (3.89) are all much lower than his 4.51 ERA. That’s a clear sign that some positive regression could be headed his way down the stretch. 

Additionally, the swing-and-miss stuff is there for Gausman. His chase rate (34%), whiff rate (27.1%), and strikeout rate (23.8%) all rank in the top half of the league, and his 12.4% swinging strike rate is right around his league average (12.3%). 

The Cubs should be one of the teams that are in on Gausman. He wouldn’t cost as much as other pitchers on the trade market, and his numbers could improve with a better defense behind him. 

Gausman would also accept a trade to the Cubs, as the North Siders are not one of the teams that the 35-year-old will block a trade to. Ken Rosenthal reported that the Blue Jays starter will not accept a trade to the Reds, Brewers, Tigers, Mets, Athletics, White Sox, Pirates, or Mariners. 

The Cubs and Gausman could be a nice match.