The Toronto Blue Jays traded starting pitcher Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs for two prospects, the team announced Sunday.
Gausman is in the final season of a five-year, $110-million contract he signed in December 2021. He holds a 5-10 record in 23 starts this year with a 4.38 ERA.
The 35-year-old has been a crucial part of the Blue Jays' pitching staff over the last five seasons. He earned Cy Young votes in 2022 and 2023 and was an All-Star in 2023.
Chicago sent back minor-leaguers Brett Bateman and Ty Southisene to Toronto. Southisene, a 21-year-old infielder, was the Cubs' No. 13 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He was with Chicago's High-A affiliate and held a .333/.459/.381 slash line for the South Bend Cubs. Southisene played primarily at shortstop this year after spending most of 2025 at second base.
Bateman, 24, has spent the entire 2026 campaign at Triple-A Iowa, where he registered a .312/.431/.422 line with three homers and 33 RBIs in 81 games.
The Cubs are 63-49 on the season and sit in second place in the NL Central, 6.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers. However, they hold a four-game lead on the top wild-card spot in the National League.
Chicago is hoping Gausman can boost a pitching staff that ranks 24th in total strikeouts. The veteran right-hander sits behind only Dylan Cease in strikeouts since the start of the 2022 season.
Gausman finishes his Blue Jays tenure with a 53-51 record in 148 starts. He posted an ERA below 3.90 in each of his first four seasons, never went on the injured list, and pitched in six playoff games with five starts during Toronto's run to Game 7 of the World Series last year.
