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The Milwaukee Brewers have the best record in Major League Baseball right now, but this team could be significantly better.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy made that point clear himself while calling the club's first-half play "inconsistent." Milwaukee had 59 wins at the All-Star break and has responded by rattling off four straight wins to kick off the second half. Now, the Brewers are 63-37 on the season, a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the league.
Still, Milwaukee will be significantly better if it adds another veteran starter at the trade deadline, especially one with playoff experience. The Brewers are missing Kyle Harrison, but he should be back soon. Brandon Woodruff is the club's longest-tenured veteran in the rotation, but he's done for the season due to injury. The Brewers arguably need another starter who has been there before in the postseason to give the club more stability. Lance McCullers Jr. was a good start, but he is in the bullpen right now. Milwaukee arguably needs one more.
ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan floated an intriguing name on Monday while mentioning the Brewers among the "best fits" for Toronto Blue Jays righty Kevin Gausman.
"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.
The Brewers Should Target The Blue Jays
"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."
The 35-year-old would be a perfect deadline target. Gausman has a 4.33 ERA in 20 starts this season. The 4.33 ERA doesn't sound great, but this is a two-time All-Star we're talking about with a 3.84 career ERA in 14 seasons.
Gausman has a 116-to-32 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 112 1/3 innings pitched, which is very good. Plus, he has a 3.66 FIP, which is a good sign as well. FIP is an attempt to show how impactful a pitcher is while taking out the impact of the defense behind a pitcher. So, if a hurler's FIP is lower than their ERA, it's typically a sign that the hurler has been unlucky with some tough defense behind them.
Gausman has also pitched in 14 playoff games and has a 3.83 postseason ERA. He started two World Series games last year for the Blue Jays. In Game 2, he pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed three runs. In Game 6, he pitched six innings and allowed three runs. He struck out 14 total batters across the two games and gave the Blue Jays a chance to win both.
If the Blue Jays sell, Gausman would be a perfect target.
Today's best reads
- Brewers Lose Brandon Woodruff for 2026 Season With Surgery Coming
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- Brewers 'Urgency' Increasing to Add Starter With Brandon Woodruff Out
- Kyle Harrison Making Strides, But Brewers Won't Rush Lefty's Return
- This Nationals All-Star Should Be on Brewers' Radar Right Now
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/brewers/onsi as Brewers Named Among Top Fits for Blue Jays 2-Time All-Star Starter.
