Blue Jays are being rewarded for deadline restraint as former players failing to spark new teams

With the Toronto Blue Jays being on the wrong side of the playoff line leading up to the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline, they traded multiple players. Among the most notable players Toronto traded were Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho, and Jeff Hoffman.

Seeing the Blue Jays trade Gausman and Varsho was not surprising, as both players are pending unrestricted free agents. As for Hoffman, he is signed through next season, but notably lost his closer role with the Blue Jays earlier in the campaign. Due to this, it made sense that Toronto traded him as well.

It has been nearly a month since the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline passed and we can put together an assessment on how Gausman, Varsho, and Hoffman are performing with their new teams following their exit from the Blue Jays.

Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho and Jeff Hoffman haven't exactly hit the ground running in their new digs

Gausman might have just settled in with the Cubs

One of the Chicago Cubs' top goals at the deadline was to improve their starting rotation. That's why it made sense that they struck a deal with the Blue Jays to land Gausman.

Gausman had a tough start to his Cubs tenure. In three appearances for Chicago, he posted a 1-1 record, with 16 strikeouts, and a 6.19 ERA. He also allowed six earned runs in 4.2 innings pitched for Chicago on Aug. 13 against the Washington Nationals.

Gausman still has plenty of time to heat back up and on Monday night (Aug. 25), he had his best outing in weeks. He held the Arizona Diamondbacks to three hits over seven innings, allowing no runs with six strikeouts.

Varsho has had rough start with Astros but is slowing getting things back on track

Varsho is also struggling with his new team so far. In 18 games with the Houston Astros since the trade, he has posted two home runs, four RBI, and, most notably, a very low .169 batting average.

While Varsho's numbers at the plate have not been strong with the Astros, he is starting to show signs of bouncing back. At the time of this writing, the former Blue Jays outfielder is on a four-game hitting streak. He will now be looking to keep this up as the Astros fight to win the AL West.

Hoffman having mixed results with the Twins

Like Gausman and Varsho, Hoffman has also not had the strongest of starts with his new team. In eight appearances for the Minnesota Twins since the trade, he has a record of 0-1 and a 4.70 ERA. This is after he posted a 6-7 record and a 3.94 ERA in 51 games for Toronto before the trade.

Hoffman's most recent outing was particularly frustrating for the former Blue Jay, as he allowed two earned runs on two hits in just 0.2 innings pitched.

Hoffman will now be looking to bounce back in his next appearance for the Twins from here. If he can regain his top form, it would be good for a Twins club that is looking to climb up the AL Central standings.

That is ultimately the common thread with all three moves. The Blue Jays did not aggressively tear down the roster, but they also did not cling to veterans who were likely on the way out, and have not yet been burned by those decisions. Gausman, Varsho and Hoffman all still have time to change the narrative with their new clubs, but as of now, Toronto’s soft sell looks like it was a great decision.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow