Breaking down why the Blue Jays may have landed a long-term steal in the Kevin Gausman trade

When the Toronto Blue Jays dealt Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline, it felt like a big blow to a passionate fan base. The Blue Jays were losing a part of the team's identity from the past five seasons. The trade also meant that Toronto’s playoff hopes at the time were dwindling.

What the Blue Jays’ faithful didn’t know at the time was how much promise there was in one of the players coming back in the deal. Brett Bateman was sent to Toronto (along with Ty Southisene) and he became a game changer for the Blue Jays.

Brett Bateman has already made this Blue Jays-Cubs trade a relatively even deal

Bateman made a huge impact after his arrival to Toronto. Not only did he show that he was major league-ready when he got the call from the minors, he actually became the best hitter for the Blue Jays down the stretch. He batted .329 with an .826 OPS, with 28 runs scored, seven doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs in 41 games played.

More importantly, Bateman helped the Blue Jays change their dynamics within their offensive profile. His ability to utilize his speed to wreak havoc on the basepaths, along with the penchant to do small ball things (bunting and sacrifice hits), brought a new element to the current iteration of the Blue Jays lineup.

He has given Toronto a traditional leadoff hitter. In recent years, many teams have gone with their star players at the top of the order. Whether it be Shohei Ohtani, Fernando Tatis Jr., Ronald Acuña Jr., or George Springer the manager’s mindset is to maximize the number of plate appearances so their best hitter can do the most damage. It is a small sample size for now, but Bateman appears to be heading towards being the Blue Jays leadoff hitter for the foreseeable future.

There is also the potential of the other top prospect that was part of the deal in Southisene. He compiled a .300 average and close to .800 OPS with 34 stolen bases over 77 minor league games split between two minor league organizations this year.

As for Gausman, he did end up helping the Cubs reach the playoffs. He was 4-2 down the stretch for Chicago, with a 4.83 ERA while giving up 11 home runs in 50 innings of work for the South Siders. Those numbers were a bit worse than his numbers with the Blue Jays before the trade. To cap it all off, the Cubs were eliminated in the NL Wild Card seris with Gausman on the mound in the deciding game.

The most interesting thing about the whole situation is the fact that Toronto could consider a reunion with Gausman this offseason. That would solidify the Blue Jays as clear winners in the deal.

Nevertheless, with Bateman as the surprising gem that Toronto got in return, along with Southisene that could become another valuable piece, this could potentially be one of the better trades made by the Blue Jays during this part of the decade.

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