Blue Jays May Have Gotten More Than Expected in Kevin Gausman Trade

Brett Bateman went right to work making an impression with the Blue Jays.

Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Brett Bateman Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It is far too early to be declaring a victory in the Kevin Gausman trade, but Brett Bateman is giving people something to talk about.

Less than a month after the Toronto Blue Jays acquired the 24-year-old outfielder from the Chicago Cubs as part of the return for Gausman, Bateman isn’t just interesting. He’s making a case to be someone that the Blue Jays can build into their future.

The best part is, he is doing it just as the player he was. He’s not all of a sudden becoming something he’s never been.

Bateman Still Hitting

Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Brett Bateman Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bateman is entering the weekend batting .329 in August. He has collected 24 hits in 73 at-bats over his first 17 major-league games.

He’s carrying a .359 on-base percentage and .756 OPS with three doubles, a triple, five RBI and two stolen bases.

There is one missing element to those numbers. He hasn’t hit a home run yet. While some may criticize that, power hasn’t ever been a huge part of his game. He is being truly effective at the plate without that.

When you compare his new MLB stats against what he was doing before the trade, it is impressive. Bateman was slashing .312/.430/.421 over 82 games with Triple-A Iowa. He stole 20 bases in 23 attempts. Over his minor league career, he had a .280 batting average with a .396 on-base percentage but only a .341 slugging percentage.

He carried all of that over to the Majors. He stayed true to what he is, and that in itself is impressive. There wasn’t a big adjustment to big-league pitching.

He's making contact, getting on base, and using his speed as a weapon. That’s exactly what got him to the majors to begin with.

Blue Jays Could Have Center Field Answer

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Brett Bateman Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Looking to the future, Bateman becomes even more interesting. He is a strong defensive center fielder. The Blue Jays recognized that he could contribute immediately at the major league level.

Five days after the team acquired him from the Cubs, Toronto decided they had seen enough and gave him his first opportunity. The organization selected his contract from Triple-A Buffalo on August 7.

He took advantage.

Bateman isn’t just being kept around because he is a temporary roster replacement. The Blue Jays have continued to find ways to get him in the lineup and so far, he hasn’t made them regret that decision.

While it would be great if Bateman were a 25-home-run guy, that’s not what the Blue Jays bargained for. He consistently reaches base, provides speed and plays quality defense. He can certainly fill a role on this team.

Whether he becomes an everyday center fielder or a versatile fourth outfielder remains to be seen, but the Blue Jays can’t ignore his effectiveness.

Bateman has September to make his case to be a part of the 2027 roster.

Gausman Trade Will Take Years to Judge

Certainly, no one could already declare victory in the trade.

Evaluating a deadline deal that involves a starting pitcher takes time. Doing so after just a few weeks would be extremely premature.

There are questions about how much of an impact Bateman can have if he doesn’t have the power behind him, but really, the early returns matter.

Toronto will likely have to be patient to find out how their returns pay off with regard to the Gausman trade. It’s hard to deny, though, that Bateman is making that trade look interesting so far.