The Toronto Blue Jays may soon be entering sell mode as the trade deadline nears.
The defending American League champions enter their Saturday matchup against the Boston Red Sox 13.5 games back of the American League East lead and 6.5 games back of a wild card spot. They haven’t shown any signs of life as of late, going 2-8 in their past 10 games, including a 6-4 loss to the Red Sox on Friday night, which dropped them 10 games below .500 (47-57).
With the trade deadline nearing on Aug. 3, that could mean the Jays are likely to sell off veteran assets as it becomes clear that another postseason run is not in the books. One of the most popularly mentioned names on the Jays’ roster is none other than former All-Star pitcher Kevin Gausman. The 35-year-old is having a rough season — as are many Jays players — going 4-9 with a 4.51 ERA. Those numbers are a far cry from his 2025 numbers when he produced a 3.59 ERA.
While his numbers have been disappointing, it’s worth mentioning that Gausman is extremely experienced in the postseason, having made 14 total appearances during six different postseason runs.
Kevin Gausman Named ‘Perfect’ Trade Target for Braves
In his latest piece for The Athletic, Jim Bowden identifies the “perfect” trade deadline targets for a number of teams, including the Atlanta Braves. The Braves are obviously one of the top contenders for the World Series as they lead the NL East with a 61-42 record and have the third-best record in the National League.
Gausman — who previously pitched for the Braves during the 2018-19 seasons — is identified as the “perfect” trade target for Atlanta.
“The Braves are looking for a starting pitcher who can start a playoff game and if the Blue Jays decide to sell, then the impending free agent Gausman, with his postseason experience, would be a realistic target,” said Bowden. “He’s pitched for four different teams in the playoffs (including Atlanta in 2018) and carries a 3.83 ERA in 56 1/3 postseason innings. He’s probably a Game 3 or 4 starter at this stage of his career, but he’d improve the Atlanta playoff rotation. The Braves are not on his eight-team no-trade list.”
Kevin Gausman Has Wealth of Playoff Experience That Could Aid Braves’ Postseason Run
It obviously helps that Gausman has familiarity pitching in Atlanta, but the fact that he’s only a year removed from pitching in the biggest games during the Blue Jays’ World Series run is something that could surely boost Atlanta’s pitching rotation.
While the Braves have a proven ace and veteran in 37-year-old Chris Sale, 27-year-old Bryce Elder is their other top pitcher and he has made just one appearance in the postseason, which was back in 2023. It’s worth noting that Gausman posted a 2.93 ERA during the Blue Jays’ postseason run last season. The two-time All-Star also led the American League in strikeouts during the 2023 season.
During a recent inteview with The Athletic, Gausman said he would love to end his career in Toronto, but obviously realizes the current situation that Toronto is in.
“I told my wife yesterday, ‘How lucky have we been to be here?’ ” Gausman said in an interview with The Athletic and Sportsnet. “To be in a place long enough that we’re sad to leave. I would love to finish (in Toronto),” Gausman said. “But at the same time, I would love to have another opportunity. At the same time, it wouldn’t mean as much as it meant last year.”
If the Blue Jays don’t start reeling off wins over the next week, it’s likely that Gausman is seeing his final days in a Toronto uniform.
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