2 Blue Jays trade rumors we hope come true, 1 we hope doesn't happen

We hope Kevin Gausman doesn't get traded

This one recently popped up as a possibility, courtesy of Bob Nightengale of USA Today, who says that the Blue Jays could entertain offers for starter Kevin Gausman.

The Blue Jays would be crazy to trade Gausman though, right? If they want to contend next year, then yes, they would be crazy to trade the 33-year-old right-hander. There's no denying that his two remaining years of team control would make him a valuable trade chip right now. But his value might be higher next year if he bounces back from his shockingly rough 2024 campaign and regresses closer to his previous form.

After his Cy Young-worthy 2023, nobody could have seen this season coming from Gausman. His 4.55 ERA and 1.30 WHIP are not the numbers we thought we'd see this year. His 22.9 percent strikeout rate is the lowest he has posted since 2018, while his 26.4 percent CSW (called plus swinging strike rate) is his worst since his second season in the majors.

Just because he has had a down year, we don't want to see him head out the door at the deadline. Even though the Blue Jays have all but said they won't be trading players with term left on their contract, that doesn't mean that contending teams won't still try to pry the two-time All-Star away from Toronto.

We'd love to see Gausman stick around, at least for one more season, and get a chance to redeem himself next year.