The Philadelphia Phillies have been connected to a trade for a two-time All-Star pitcher.
The Philadelphia Phillies absolutely need some help at the back end of their rotation. We know their trio of Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo is formidable, but beyond that, it's a circus.
Aaron Nola has been dreadful for the second straight year, and Andrew Painter was so awful early on in the season that the Phillies demoted him to Triple-A. That has resulted in Philadelphia having to run bullpen games, and that's very taxing.
Chances are, the Phillies will add another starting pitcher by the MLB trade deadline, and ESPN's Jesse Rogers has cited an intriguing potential option for them: Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman.
Gausman has struggled this season, owning a 4.51 ERA over 22 starts. However, his peripherals indicate that he may be getting a bit unlucky.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman. Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.The 35-year-old owns a 3.58 FIP, and while his 1.266 WHIP isn't the best, it's hardly hideous. Also, opposing hitters own a 7.9 percent barrel rate against Gausman in 2026, which is actually lower than his lifetime average of 8.0 percent.
Clearly, there is some potential under the hood for Gausman, who is now in his 14th big-league campaign and pitched incredibly well in the Blue Jays' run to the World Series last season. In fact, he boasted a 2.93 ERA over six appearances and five starts in October.
Because the two-time All-Star is slated to hit free agency over the winter, Toronto's asking price probably won't be exorbitant, which is great news for a Philadelphia squad that doesn't have a ton of intriguing prospect capital.
Gausman lays claim to a lifetime 3.86 ERA and has also made more than 30 starts in five consecutive seasons. Remove the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, and it would be nine straight (although he did pitch a lot out of the bullpen in 2019).
It's hard to imagine a better fit for a Phillies team that probably doesn't have the goods to land someone like Tarik Skubal, but can certainly put together a package to pry Gausman away from the defending American League champions.
Philadelphia has until Aug. 3 to make some moves, so expect a busy week in the City of Brotherly Love.
