Blue Jays' Kevin Gausman Didn't Mince Words About Approaching Trade Deadline
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When veteran right-hander Kevin Gausman took the ball for manager John Schneider on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre against the Tampa Bay Rays, he was looking to turn things around for the struggling Toronto Blue Jays.
After dropping three out of four games coming out of the All-Star break, two to the Chicago White Sox and one to the Rays, the Blue Jays are in danger of going from 90 feet away from winning the World Series last fall against the Los Angeles Dodgers to missing the postseason altogether in 2026.
Gauseman struggled in what could have been his final start in Toronto as a member of the Blue Jays. He lasted just 3.1 innings, allowing nine runs, five hits and four earned runs in a 12-2 loss. He needed 90 pitches to get through his outing and Toronto was behind 8-0 in the bottom of the sixth before the Blue Jays were able to get on the board. After the game, Gausman was asked about it possibly being his last start in Toronto and didn't mince words about it.
Blue Jays Pitcher Kevin Gausman Answers Question About Future in Toronto
Gausman spoke with the media following the outing and didn't want to look ahead to what could be in a couple of weeks: a potential trade out of Toronto. He will get at least one more start before the August 3 trade deadline, likely on Sunday against the red-hot Boston Red Sox.
"I'm not going to think about that too much. I'm a Blue Jay right now, and the focus is this team, this room and those guys,” Gausman said. “That's where my mind is at right now. That is kind of crazy to think about."
It is crazy to think about, but that's the position that the Blue Jays are in. One of the American League favorites to begin the season, things haven't gone as well as they had hoped. Now, buried 12.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the basement of the American League East and needing to jump seven teams for an AL wild-card spot, reality is going to begin to set in for Toronto the closer the deadline gets.
Gausman is someone that contending teams would covet at the trade deadline for rotation depth or even someone to slide into the backend for length in the playoffs. He is in his sixth season in Toronto and his numbers aren't great, but given his history and the body of work he's done over his career is something teams won't overlook. The trade deadline creates difficult decisions for teams and even though Gausman isn't thinking about it, he hears the chatter and knows change could be coming.
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Scott Roche has covered both college and professional sports for nearly three decades for various outlets. Scott has covered the MLB, NHL, and college sports and he is someone always looking for a good rumor, no matter which sport it is.