Jim Bowden's grade for the Blue Jays' Jose Soriano trade should excite fans about the future

The Toronto Blue Jays delivered an emotional blow to the fan base on Sunday (Aug. 2) when they traded Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs.

After serving as the club's ace for much of the past five seasons, Gausman's departure officially signaled that Toronto's disappointing 2026 campaign would force some difficult decisions. For many fans, it felt like the end of an era.

Even though Gausman was having one of the worst seasons of his career statistically, he still meant a lot to the fans who were holding out hope that this team could get back to the playoffs and possibly redeem themselves from their loss in the 2025 World Series. But on an expiring contract and with a 4.39 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 23 starts, the Blue Jays found a suitor and moved Gausman to the Cubs for a pair of prospects.

Just hours later, however, the Blue Jays reminded everyone that selling at the trade deadline doesn't always mean taking a full step backward.

Toronto swung one of the deadline's biggest trades by acquiring right-hander Jose Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels, surrendering top prospect Arjun Nimmala, outfielder Eddie Micheletti and young pitcher Angel Rivero. It was an aggressive move for a team that had just traded away one of its franchise cornerstones, but one former executive believes the Blue Jays paid the right price.

Former Cincinnati Reds general manager and current The Athletic analyst Jim Bowden handed Toronto an A- for the deal, while giving the Angels a B, suggesting the Blue Jays came away with the stronger side of the trade despite parting with one of the organization's top prospects.

Bowden's evaluation should provide some reassurance for a fan base still processing Gausman's departure.

The Blue Jays appear intent on getting right back to contentio next season. Soriano isn't a rental. At 27 years old and under team control through the 2028 season, he will be with this club for a couple of seasons.

That long-term control is exactly why Toronto was willing to include Nimmala in the package.

While losing one of the organization's best prospects is never easy, pitchers with Soriano's combination of production, age and affordability rarely become available. Through 22 starts this season, the right-hander has posted a 3.29 ERA while striking out 127 batters, continuing a trend of consistent production that has seen him record an ERA below 4.00 in three of his four major league campaigns.

Blue Jays rebuild shouldn’t last long with Soriano jumping right into the top of the rotation

Trading Gausman could have marked the beginning of a more extensive teardown. But a long term rebuild at this stage probably didn’t make a ton of sense considering how many core pieces remain under contract. Between Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kaxuma Okamot, Ernie Clement, Trey Yesavage and Dylan Cease, this group is built to win.

There is certainly some risk. Nimmala looks like he can develop into an impact major leaguer, while Micheletti and Rivero both bring intriguing upside to the Angels' farm system. If Los Angeles helps those players reach their potential, this could ultimately become one of those rare trades that benefits both organizations.

For now, though, Bowden's favorable grade reinforces the Blue Jays thought process of losing some players that likely weren’t going to be around in 2027, but not completely letting their competitive window close.

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