The Chicago Cubs have traded for Blue Jays right hander Kevin Gausman. With Toronto receiving minor leaguers Ty Southisene and Brett Bateman, an infielder and outfielder respectfully. This move comes fully expected after the Cubs have been drowning in injured pitchers for the better part of this season. Gausman comes to the Cubs after throwing 127.1 innings for the Blue Jays this season.
In that time with Toronto in 2026, Gausman has amassed a 4.38 ERA, but that's not something to be taken lightly. In his 127 innings, he's also delivered 127 strikeouts, and he's only given up 36 walks. It's an impressive line for a rental arm the Cubs are bringing over.
Kevin Gausman gives the Cubs more than his ERA suggests
Despite an ERA that is less than a starting pitcher would hope for, the ratio of strikeouts to walks is something to pay attention to. It shows his command and ability to miss bats is clearly still intact. Gausman routinely goes at least five innings deep unless circumstances prevent him.
There have been two instances of Gausman departing a game before the fifth inning since June, and one of them happened to be at the hands of the Cubs. Back on June 19th, Gausman allowed the Cubs to post seven earned runs on him in only two innings of work.
While that may be taken with a grain of salt from the perspective of the Cubs, it shouldn't be taken so lightly for Gausman. A poor ERA isn't everything, as David Peterson proved the other day, leading the Cubs to a victory over the Yankees at Wrigley.
So what does Gausman bring to the table for the Cubs? The north siders have been absolutely desperate for starting pitching for essentially the entire season. From Justin Steele missing the entire 2026 season (possibly) to Jameson Taillon going down in a whirlwind, it's been a lot. With Peterson now providing stability and Gausman adding to the fire, the Cubs could be really cooking here.
Now all that's left to do is to put the pieces into play and to see if the Cubs can catch their rivals in Milwaukee. Maybe now that the Cubs have some solid starting pitching help, it just might be enough to close the gap that the Brewers have so gleefully built. With it already being August, the Cubs are running out of time.
| More Cubs News and Rumors |
Add us as a preferred source on Google