The Toronto Blue Jays looked buried when the trade deadline hit. Instead, they’ve clawed their way back into the American League Wild Card race, and a big part of that surge has come from an unexpected place: a former Cubs prospect who is suddenly giving them real production at the top of the order.
Toronto went 17-11 in August and, despite sitting at 68-70, is only 1.5 games behind the final Wild Card spot in the American League. That turnaround has featured Brett Bateman, one of the prospects Chicago moved in the Kevin Gausman trade, stepping into a key role almost immediately after arriving in Toronto.
Bateman had spent the entire 2026 season at Triple-A Iowa before the deal. He hit .312/.430/.421 with a 126 wRC+, and the numbers matched the eye test: speed, defense, and enough offense to make a promotion feel overdue.
The Cubs simply didn’t have a spot for the 24-year-old. If he had been a right-handed bat, maybe the path would have opened up differently, but instead Chicago moved on and used the trade to bring in Tyrone Taylor.
Bateman made his Blue Jays debut on August 8, and the club has rolled with him ever since. In his first 88 plate appearances, he’s hitting .333/.384/.410 with a 127 wRC+, and he has already put up 0.9 fWAR in 19 games. More importantly for Toronto, he’s settled in as a steady presence near the top of the lineup.
For the Cubs, Bateman is another example of a farm system that has done well developing college hitters, especially outfielders. Drafted in the middle rounds of the 2023 draft, he moved through the organization and found success at every level before getting dealt.
Chicago did turn Bateman into an established starting pitcher in Gausman, which is a win in its own right. But the return has come with a catch: the Cubs still need more than the 5.14 ERA Gausman has posted in his five starts with the team.
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Raptors Fans Finally Know The Real Cost Of Kawhis Return
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What comes next matters just as much for Toronto, because the trade sending Leonard back north is expected to be finalized soon. The punishment settled one major question, but it did not answer every one around how the deal will be completed, and the Raptors are still waiting to see the full shape of the move theyve been tracking. For a fan base that has spent days sorting through speculation, the leagues ruling at least gives the story a firm direction, even if the final paperwork still has to catch up. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Suddenly Face A Jokic Question Fans Never Wanted
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Jokic has not signed an extension with Denver and has a player option for the 2027-28 season, which is enough to keep rival teams watching closely even if nothing is imminent. Toronto has reasons to be intrigued, not least because of its belief that it can keep improving, but the more important reality is that Jokic has given every indication of loyalty to the Nuggets so far, leaving the Raptors in the familiar place of dreaming on a superstar while waiting to see whether the league ever creates a real opening. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Are Finally Nearing The End Of This Kawhi Leonard Saga
Kawhi Leonards long-running situation is finally close to moving off the Raptors back burner, with the NBA clearing up the last major issue that had been hanging over a trade between Toronto and the Clippers. The leagues decision gives the Raptors the green light to wrap up a deal that would bring Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick into the picture, along with multiple future draft picks, after Toronto had been waiting for the investigation to run its course.
For the Raptors, the timing matters because this was never just about one player or one payment issue, but about getting the transaction formally over the line and letting both sides move forward. The expectation around the league is that the trade will be completed soon, ending a saga that has lingered long enough to become part of the backdrop for Torontos offseason planning. [Read more 🡒]