The Cubs gave up little to acquire Kevin Gausman, but with Brett Bateman already making an impact in Toronto, the trade is showing early signs that it could become a tougher one for Chicago to stomach.
It's hard to knock the Chicago Cubs for how they handled the 2026 MLB trade deadline.
Jed Hoyer made a concerted effort to improve the Cubs' pitching staff, and he successfully did so with the acquisition of right-handed pitchers Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes. Both pitchers have already had some excellent moments in a Cubs uniform. But one of the deals may not age as well as Cubs fans initially thought it would.
I expressed some real concern about Kevin Gausman and his underlying metrics when the Cubs brought him in. The only saving grace of the trade was the fact that Chicago gave up very little to acquire him. Even for a rental, it was a risk worth taking. But not even two weeks after the MLB trade deadline, it now looks as if the Cubs gave up more than initially believed.
The two players going to Toronto in the deal were infield prospect Ty Southisene (Cubs No. 13) and outfield prospect Brett Bateman (Cubs No. 21). Two young players, each with 20-30 grade power, giving them pretty clear offensive ceilings that made the trade easy to stomach. But Bateman, in particular, has already hit the ground running at the MLB level.
Bateman played just two games in Triple-A with the Blue Jays organization before getting promoted to the big leagues on August 7. He's played in every game for Toronto since then, and in his first seven MLB contests, Bateman is batting .290 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs.
He's already worth 0.2 fWAR on the season and has shown potential as a valuable MLB piece at just 24 years old.
Southisene, on the other hand, has played in seven games at High-A Vancouver with the Blue Jays organization. His OPS since the trade is .875, including his first professional home run.
Ultimately, this trade's merit will come down to what Gausman does in a Cubs uniform. He pitched seven innings of two-run baseball in his Cubs debut and earned a win against the Kansas City Royals, but then got tagged for six earned runs over 4.2 innings against the Washington Nationals and took a loss. His current Cubs ERA through two starts sits at 6.17.
If Gausman looks like his old self and the two-time All-Star he can be the rest of the way, even as a rental, his 2026 contributions will be worth the prospect capital the Cubs gave up. Moving on from young players with talent is part of the deal when you're a buyer at the deadline.
But if this doesn't age well with Gausman on the Cubs over the next few months, like I feared when the deal was made, and Brett Bateman continues to produce at the MLB level for the Blue Jays, there may be some buyer's remorse from the Cubs. Especially with the team's upcoming need for outfield help, as Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Tyrone Taylor, and Michael Conforto all hit free agency.
