It’s been a whirlwind past few days for Kevin Gausman.
The former Toronto Blue Jays starter found out on a Sunday evening flight to Houston with his now former teammates that he was being traded to the Chicago Cubs and has spent the first few days with his new team getting used to his surroundings.
His initial impressions of the north side of Chicago have been quite strong.
When asked about being able to call Wrigley Field – one of baseball’s oldest and most iconic stadiums – his home ballpark, Gausman alluded to its differences from Toronto.
“You know, it’s funny, it’s the first time [my wife has] been here. And after the first day she was here she said, ‘It’s so different than Toronto’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, the focus is baseball.’ It’s real grass, it’s outside, so there’s a lot of different things than what we’re used to. But we’re excited for all the new experiences.
“It’s been really fun to be here. And man, this offence, this defence, and just the guys. Like I said. The atmosphere, the environment and Wrigley. This place is baseball Mecca, you know? This is really cool.”
Gausman has been equally impressed by his new team, who hold the National League’s first wild-card spot at 66-49 and just swept the Los Angeles Dodgers after loading up at the trade deadline. He is expected to make his Cubs debut Friday against the Kansas City Royals.
“Really excited to be around these guys. Watching the team play the last two days, why wouldn’t you be excited? Great group of guys it seems like and just excited to get to know them,” Gausman said.
He joked that the strong first impressions were also shared by one of his young daughters.
“You know, it’s funny. My five-year-old, after the first game here, was kind of poking me a little bit and said, ‘You know, I like the Cubs. They can beat the Dodgers,’ Gausman said during an in-game interview with Marquee Sports Network Wednesday afternoon.
“It was kind of a stab to the heart a little bit, because right after she said the Blue Jays couldn’t, so that was a tough moment,” Gausman said with a laugh.
A Blue Jay for the past four and a half seasons, Gausman was dealt to the Cubs Sunday night in exchange for prospects Brett Bateman and Ty Southisene as the Jays retooled at the deadline. The move came with Gausman scheduled to hit free agency this winter after signing a five-year, $110 million contract ahead of the 2022 campaign.
The 35-year-old spoke glowingly of the Jays organization and the city on his way out,
“I hope [the fans] realize that I’ve embraced not just the team but the country, and I really love this city and everything that it stands for,” Gausman said after his final Jays start last weekend, sensing a trade was on the way.
He also shared a heartfelt message on social media earlier this week.
“So many great memories with amazing people that I will cherish forever! Getting to represent an entire country was truly an honour that I never took for granted! Love you all!” Gausman wrote as part of a post on X.
Coincidentally, Gausman won’t have to wait long to see his former teammates.
The Blue Jays are in Chicago Thursday afternoon to play a make-up for a game that was rained out in June. Having pitched for the Jays on Saturday, Gausman was actually lined up to face the Jays on Thursday, but the Cubs elected to debut Gausman Friday against Kansas City instead.
Gausman is 5-10 with a 4.38 ERA in 23 starts this season. He is coming off a 5.2 inning, one-run effort Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals that saw him leave the mound to a massive standing ovation in front of the home fans in Toronto one last time.
