Kevin Gausman Trade Grades: Cubs Add Much-Needed Impact Starting Pitcher

Throughout their roller-coaster of a season, as injuries to key arms mounted, the Cubs have had a clear need for starting pitching help. On Sunday evening, less than 24 hours until Monday's trade deadline, help arrived in the form of two-time All-Star Kevin Gausman in a trade with the Blue Jays.

Gausman, 35 and in his 14th big-league season, is not the same pitcher he was in his prime. But he's been steady for a disappointing Toronto squad this season, posting a 5–10 record with a 4.38 ERA across 23 starts. In return, the Blue Jays will receive minor leaguers Ty Southisene, an infielder, and Brett Bateman, an outfielder, per The Athletic's Mitch Bannon.

With the principals out of the way, let's grade the trade.

Cubs

Injuries to their pitching staff made it an absolute necessity for the Cubs to add a reinforcement to their rotation. Consider the lengthy absences of current injured list occupants Edward Cabrera, Ben Brown, Cade Horton and Justin Steele—not to mention IL stints from Matthew Boyd and ineffectiveness from Jameson Taillon (who was traded to Toronto on Sunday in a separate deal). That group largely comprised Chicago's Plan A coming into the season, and it's a minor miracle the team has managed to remain firmly in the playoff picture all year in the wake of so many injuries mounting.

With Gausman, the Cubs can at least count on the right-hander to take the ball every fifth day. His 23 starts are tied for the most in the league, and he's pacing for his sixth straight season with at least 31 starts. The results have been fine, if unspectacular: a 5–10 record with a 4.38 ERA that would be his worst since 2019. But the underlying numbers—a 3.51 FIP and 3.85 SIERA—are more encouraging, and he owns a 2.70 FIP over his last six starts. It's worth noting that, while the Blue Jays rank anywhere from average to good in team defensive metrics depending on where you look, the Cubs unanimously rank as the best fielding team in baseball. That's especially important for a pitcher who ranks around league average (or slightly better) in strikeout, whiff and hard-hit rates.

Like all the other pitching-needy teams out there, missing out on Tarik Skubal will sting. And perhaps there were other starters the Cubs could have gotten that would have made a bigger impact over the next couple months than Gausman, who will be a free agent at the end of this season. But on the spectrum of attainable starting pitchers at this year's deadline, Gausman is clearly in the top half of the scale. And the price Chicago gave up—both prospects rank among the Cubs' top 30 by MLB Pipeline and FanGraphs but not in the top 10—looks manageable given the return (and was approved by Baseball Trade Values).

Grade: B+

Blue Jays

Despite being just 4.5 games out of a wild-card spot at the time of the deal, the Blue Jays have been among the most disappointing teams in baseball this year following their run to the 2025 World Series. With how bunched up the middle class of the American League has been this season, Toronto's playoff odds are a minuscule 6.3%, per FanGraphs—not impossible, but clearly not enough for the front office to avoid selling at the deadline.

Given Gausman's status as a rental, getting two minor leaguers with a real chance at reaching the majors feels like a win for Toronto. Southisene received a $1 million signing bonus as a fourth-round pick by the Cubs in 2024. He's 21 and owns a .407 on-base percentage with 72 stolen bases in 156 career games across Low and High A, but is the definition of a slap hitter, with zero homers and just 20 extra-base hits as a pro. There's a skill set here, as scouts view him as a capable defender at shortstop, but the extreme lack of thump in his 5' 7" frame severely limits his chances of becoming an everyday player.

Bateman, meanwhile, has hit at every level throughout his soujourn up the minor league ladder. Now 24, he's hitting .312/.431/.422 at Triple A, splitting time between all three outfield spots. His lack of power is not quite a Southisene-ian, but there's not much: he's hit five homers as a pro with a career .342 slugging percentage. Bateman has a good feel for the strike zone and hits from the left side with defensive versatility, so, like Southisene, has the profile of a role player more than a lineup mainstay.

The Blue Jays have had success with these types of hitters in the past—they're clearly on the extreme side of valuing contact, with the lowest strikeout rate in baseball last year and the third-lowest in 2025. Alejandro Kirk, Ernie Clement and Nathan Lukes are just a few current Jays who came through their system and have had big-league success with similar offensive profiles. Perhaps they can work their magic again with Southisene and Bateman and eventually add to the position player core for the next playoff-bound Blue Jays squad.

Grade: B

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