Blue Jays trade Gausman to Cubs

The Toronto Blue Jays have traded Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs.

August 2, 2026

Official Toronto Blue Jays News Release

The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired OF Brett Bateman and INF Ty Southisene from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for RHP Kevin Gausman.

Bateman, 24, played 82 games this season with the Cubs’ triple-A affiliate in Iowa, slashing .312/.430/.421 with 18 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 33 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, and an .851 OPS. Among qualified triple-A players this season, Bateman ranks second in OBP (.430), third in walk rate (17.2%), and 12th in contact rate (83.7%). The left-handed hitter from St. Paul, Minn., was selected by the Cubs in the eighth round of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Minnesota. Over four seasons in the Cubs’ system, Bateman has slashed .280/.396/.342 with 42 doubles, five triples, six home runs, 112 RBIs, 218 walks, 83 stolen bases, and a .738 OPS.

Southisene, 21, has split this season between the Cubs Single-A affiliate in Myrtle Beach and their High-A affiliate in South Bend, playing in 66 games. The right-handed hitter is slashing .306/.425/.372 with seven doubles, five triples, 35 RBIs, 31 stolen bases, a 12.9% walk rate, an 11.6% strikeout rate, and a .797 OPS. The Las Vegas, Nev., native was selected by the Cubs in the fourth round of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft. Since making his professional debut in 2025, Southisene has led all Cubs minor leaguers in stolen bases (72), while slashing .273/.405/.319 with 13 doubles, seven triples, 71 RBIs, 104 walks, 96 strikeouts, and a .724 OPS.

Gausman, 35, made 23 starts for the Blue Jays this season, posting a 4.38 ERA with a 3.52 FIP, a 1.29 WHIP, a 6.7% walk rate, and a 23.5% strikeout rate. The right-hander from Centennial, Colo., was originally drafted by the Baltimore Orioles fourth overall in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of LSU, making his MLB debut in 2013. Gausman signed with the Blue Jays as a free agent prior to the 2022 season, ranking among the franchise’s pitching leaders in strikeouts (920), starts (148), and fWAR (20.6) during his time in Toronto. Across 14 MLB seasons with the Orioles, Braves, Reds, Giants, and Blue Jays, the two-time All-Star (2021 and 2023) has appeared in 384 games (345 starts), recording a 3.85 ERA with 2,081 strikeouts over 2,038 1/3 career innings.