The Brewers sit on top of baseball’s standings, but there’s still a clear way for them to get better: add another proven starter before the trade deadline.
Milwaukee is 63-37 and owns a half-game edge over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the league after opening the second half with four straight wins. Even with that success, manager Pat Murphy has already called the club’s first-half performance “inconsistent,” and the rotation still has a few obvious pressure points.
Kyle Harrison is missing but expected back soon. Brandon Woodruff, the most experienced veteran in the group, is out for the season because of injury.
Lance McCullers Jr. has been a useful addition, but he’s in the bullpen right now. The Brewers could still use one more starter with postseason mileage, someone who can steady things when October gets here.
That’s why ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan naming Milwaukee among the “best fits” for Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman stood out on Monday.
“No. 19.
Kevin Gausman, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays,” McDaniel and Passan wrote. “Chance of being traded: 35 percent.
Rest-of-season impact: High. Years of control: Just the rest of 2026.
The buzz: While the Blue Jays have given no indication they plan to deal Gausman, facts are facts. He's an impending free agent.
They now find themselves with the fourth-worst record in the AL.
“And the combination of those two make it increasingly likely that, short of a Red Sox-like run, Toronto will have to entertain unloading Gausman and center fielder Daulton Varsho, another free-agent-to-be. ... Best fits: White Sox, Braves, Twins, Rays, Cubs, Brewers, Orioles.”
Gausman, 35, checks a lot of boxes for Milwaukee. His 4.33 ERA in 20 starts this season isn’t eye-popping, but the broader profile still looks strong. He has a 3.84 career ERA over 14 seasons, and this year he’s piled up a 116-to-32 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 112 1/3 innings.
The underlying numbers are encouraging too. Gausman’s 3.66 FIP suggests he’s been better than the ERA shows, with FIP designed to strip away some of the defensive noise behind a pitcher.
Then there’s the October résumé. Gausman has appeared in 14 playoff games and owns a 3.83 postseason ERA.
He started two World Series games for the Blue Jays last year, going 6 2/3 innings and allowing three runs in Game 2, then throwing six innings and giving up three runs in Game 6. He struck out 14 batters across those two starts and gave Toronto a chance to win both.
If the Blue Jays decide to sell, Gausman would fit the Brewers’ needs cleanly.
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Milwaukee can at least point to the other side of the swap and feel some comfort there, since the Brewers have gotten useful pieces back in return. Still, every time Durbin shows up in a big moment for the Red Sox, it gives the trade a fresh reminder and keeps the deal from feeling like ancient history. [Read more 🡒]