Right-hander Kevin Gausman will likely draw plenty of interest if the Toronto Blue Jays decide to trade him, but the veteran hurler has a say in where he could end up.
The eight teams on Gausman's no-trade list are the Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, Athletics, and New York Mets, sources told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
The Brewers and White Sox are both leading their divisions, while the Pirates and Mariners are in the thick of their leagues' wild-card races. The remaining four clubs are well out of the playoff picture and don't project to have interest in a rental like Gausman, who's set to be a free agent this offseason.
Gausman is 4-9 with a 4.51 ERA and a 3.67 FIP in 115.2 innings this season. He's posted a 7.85 ERA in his last six starts.
However, the 35-year-old is one of the game's most durable arms, making at least 31 starts in each of the last five seasons. He recorded a 2.93 ERA across 30.2 postseason innings in Toronto's run to the 2025 World Series.
A report Friday said the Blue Jays want to be deadline buyers, but they are also prepared to sell. They've lost three of their last four games since that report and sit 6.5 games out of a playoff spot.
Gausman was emotional Wednesday while acknowledging that a move out of Toronto is a possibility given the Blue Jays' slide down the standings.
"Honestly, I wouldn't want to go anywhere," a tearful Gausman told The Athletic's Mitch Bannon. "I would love for us to turn this around, whether that's the postseason or whatever. I would love to finish my tenure here, like I set out to do when I signed here. I also realize it's a business."
He added: "I would love to finish (in Toronto). But at the same time, I would love to have another (postseason) opportunity. At the same time, it wouldn't mean as much as it meant last year."
The Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, and Tampa Bay Rays are among the teams not on Gausman's no-trade list that could be potential fits.
