The Cubs are heading into an offseason where starting pitching sits near the top of the shopping list, and Kevin Gausman is already shaping up as one of the more interesting names in the mix.
Chicago is set to watch a number of pitchers from its big-league roster test free agency, and the team will likely need to add multiple arms if it wants to put together a rotation it can trust. A trade could be part of the answer, but the Cubs will almost certainly have to spend in free agency too. That means bringing back at least one familiar starter is on the table.
If Gausman is the one they target, they won’t be bidding alone. ESPN’s Jeff Passan expects the veteran right-hander to draw real interest.
“The most-valuable pitcher this decade? Zack Wheeler.
No. 2?
Kevin Gausman. He'll be 36 in January, so while Gausman won't be getting too long a deal, he'll have plenty of suitors,” Passan writes.
That kind of market makes sense for a pitcher who still carries plenty of appeal, even after an uneven season. Gausman hasn’t been at his best in his age-35 year, but he still profiles as the sort of experienced starter plenty of teams can talk themselves into on a short-term deal.
After arriving from the Toronto Blue Jays this summer, Gausman made seven starts for the Cubs and finished with a 5.31 ERA, a -0.2 bWAR and a 4-2 record. Chicago would need a stronger return than that if it wants to seriously consider bringing him back.
Even so, his track record gives him a strong case elsewhere if the Cubs go in another direction. From 2022 onward, Gausman posted a 3.62 ERA in five seasons with Toronto across 148 starts. He also owns a 3.83 ERA in the playoffs for his career, including a 2.93 ERA in 2025 for the Blue Jays during their World Series run.
For the Cubs, the question is whether Gausman is part of the rotation fix or just one more arm who passes through before landing somewhere else. Based on the market, he looks likely to have options.
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