The Atlanta Braves are expected to be buyers at the trade deadline, and the biggest hole on the roster is clear: they need another starting pitcher.
Even with Chris Sale anchoring the staff and other options turning in strong stretches, Atlanta could use one more arm it can trust when October arrives. That’s the lane Jim Bowden of The Athletic took when he labeled Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman the Braves’ “perfect” trade target.
“The Braves are looking for a starting pitcher who can start a playoff game, and if the Blue Jays decide to sell, then the impending free agent Gausman, with his postseason experience, would be a realistic target,” Bowden writes.
Gausman checks a lot of boxes for Atlanta. He was not included on his eight-team no-trade list, so the Braves would be able to deal for him without the pitcher blocking the move. He’s also in the final season of a five-year, $110 million contract, which puts him squarely in the conversation if Toronto falls out of the race before the August 3 trade deadline.
The 35-year-old brings a recent postseason track record, too. Last year, he posted a 2.93 ERA over 30.2 innings for the Blue Jays in the postseason en route to the World Series.
This season has been rougher. Gausman has a 4.51 ERA through 21 starts and owns a 4-9 record, but Bowden still views him as a workable solution for Atlanta’s rotation.
And compared with some of the bigger names on the market, Gausman should be more attainable. Unlike Tarik Skubal or Joe Ryan, he likely wouldn’t require a massive return, even if the contract and this year’s numbers complicate the deal a bit.
For the Braves, the fit is straightforward: a veteran starter with postseason experience, available if Toronto sells, and a plausible answer behind Sale when the games matter most.
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For Blue Jays fans, the tribute feels especially right because Martinez has never been just one thing to this organization. He was a player, a manager and, for years, one of the most familiar voices around the team, which is why the club chose to capture all of those eras in one keepsake. The celebration will add another layer to a career already woven deeply into the franchises identity, even as the full scope of the days recognition is still to come. [Read more 🡒]