Brewers Surprisingly on Blue Jays Star's No-Trade List

The Milwaukee Brewers could use another starter, but one star may not be an option.

Jun 25, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) pitches to the Texas Rangers during the second inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Milwaukee Brewers caught an unexpected stray on Wednesday.

Over the last few weeks, various big-name hurlers around the league have been floated as potential trade chips. One name who has been out there has been Kevin Gausman of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays are 46-55 on the season and are trending towards a sell-off and Gausman would bring back a pretty penny. The two-time All-Star has a 3.85 career ERA so far in his 14-year big league career. He's the type of pitcher that Milwaukee should be targeting and ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan mentioned the Brewers among the best fits for him.

While this is the case, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported on Wednesday that the Brewers are one of the eight teams on Gausman's list that he can block a trade to.

Kevin Gausman Could Block A Trade To The Brewers

Jul 12, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) delivers during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"The eight teams to which Kevin Gausman can block a trade, according to people briefed on his contract: Reds, Brewers, Tigers, Mets, A’s, White Sox, Pirates, Mariners. Most teams likely to be interested are free to acquire him without restriction," Rosenthal wrote.

It wasn't reported why the Brewers are on Gausman's list, but it's certainly surprising. Milwaukee is a pitching factory. This is a club that is missing Brandon Woodruff, Kyle Harrison and Quinn Priester right now and yet they have the best starting rotation ERA in baseball at 3.36.

So far this season, Gausman has a 4.51 ERA in 21 starts. He actually is leading the league with nine losses as well. If there is any team out there that could get him back to pitching at an elite level, it would be the Brewers.

Now, this doesn't completely rule out the idea of a deal. This is a list of teams that Gausman could block a trade to if the Blue Jays attempted to get a deal done. Milwaukee would have to have interest in Gausman, first off. Then, the Blue Jays and Brewers would have to negotiate and come to terms on something. Then Gausman would have to decide if he wanted to shut down a deal, or allow it.

It's shocking to see the Brewers on a list like this because they have been dominating the National League Central for years, have done well developing pitchers and are legit contenders this season. This all could be a moot point if the Brewers aren't even interested in the first place. Still, surprising, to say the least. Milwaukee needs a starter, but Gausman may not be the guy.