Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer praised the acquisition of starter Kevin Gausman, referring to him as a “white whale.”
The Cubs despatched INF Ty Southisene and OF Brett Bateman to the Toronto Blue Jays forward of the MLB commerce deadline for Gausman, a front-end starter who ought to assist the Cubs immensely as they head into the playoffs, as he has tons of playoff expertise, together with pitching in final yr’s World Collection in opposition to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Actually, Hoyer admitted that the Cubs have been focusing on Gausman for some time.
Jed Hoyer Praises Kevin Gausman
Talking to reporters after the commerce deadline handed, Hoyer had nothing however reward for Gausman, whom he known as a “white whale” for the group.
“He was sort of a white whale sort goal for us, going means again,” Hoyer stated (through MLB.com).
In accordance with Hoyer, as soon as the Blue Jays made Gausman obtainable in commerce talks, the Cubs pounced and had been lastly in a position to purchase a pitcher whom Hoyer had been attempting for years to deliver to Chicago.
With Gausman now within the staff’s rotation, the Cubs have a bona fide workhorse main the way in which as Chicago appears to be like to make a deep postseason run.
What Kevin Gausman Brings to Chicago
For Cubs followers who aren’t accustomed to Gausman, since he has spent most of his MLB profession within the American League, they’re getting a superb veteran pitcher who eats innings and supplies invaluable management within the clubhouse.
This season, Gausman had a little bit of a down yr for the Blue Jays, as he had a 4.38 ERA in 127.1 IP and 1.5 bWAR. However simply final season, Gausman had a 3.59 ERA in 193 IP with a 4.0 bWAR, so he isn’t far faraway from being a top-end beginning pitcher within the league.
He additionally completed in third place in American League Cy Younger Award voting in 2023 and ninth in 2022 with the Blue Jays. In his final stint within the Nationwide League with the San Francisco Giants in 2021, Gausman was sixth in NL Cy Younger Award voting when he had a 2.81 ERA in 192 IP for the Giants with 5.2 bWAR.
The Cubs are absolutely hoping to get at the very least final yr’s model of Gausman, when he was the Blue Jays’ ace as they went to Sport 7 of the 2025 World Collection. Although they in the end got here up quick in seven video games to the mighty Dodgers, Gausman was his standard glorious self, as he did all the things that the Blue Jays requested of him throughout their magical postseason run final yr.
Proper now, Gausman is only a rental, as he’s on an expiring contract with the Cubs. Nonetheless, if he performs properly in Chicago and meshes properly along with his new teammates, there may be after all the possibility that Hoyer tries to ink him to a contract extension. In any case, he has tried for a few years to deliver him to Chicago, and now he’s lastly right here.
General, getting Gausman was a pleasant piece of labor by Hoyer, as he solely needed to half with two mid-level prospects to get somebody with excessive upside as a possible ace if he will get again to being the pitcher he was the previous couple of years for the Blue Jays.
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