As the MLB playoff field prepares for October competition, the reigning American League pennant holders are left to regroup after a major disappointment.

“A season that started full of hope ended in disappointment for the 2026 Toronto Blue Jays,” Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith wrote . “A World Series run and free-agent additions, including Dylan Cease, Kazuma Okamoto and Tyler Rogers, fueled optimism as the year began. But due to injuries and underperformance, they finished the season just 79-83, missing the playoffs by 5.0 games despite a weak American League.”

Shortly after the season ended, numerous members of the Blue Jays have voiced their disappointment in that turn of events. And so has a key member from the 2025 run, whose own playoff pursuit is still alive now that he’s a member of the Chicago Cubs.

Toronto Blue Jays Veteran Kevin Gausman Sends Emotional Message After Joining Chicago Cubs

Veteran right-hander Kevin Gausman was traded to the Cubs at the deadline, but he hasn’t completely moved on from the team where he spent the previous five seasons, helping it reach the highest levels of the American League.

For Gausman, the end of Toronto’s season brought back some of the emotions surrounding his own departure. Reflecting on the Blue Jays’ series against the Seattle Mariners, a team they bested in the American League Championship Series last year, Gausman noted a harsh feeling in the clubhouse after his former team scored just two runs in the three-game rematch.

“There was a little bit of heartbreak there,” Gausman told The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon .

Gausman’s trade was particularly significant because of the role he played in Toronto after signing a five-year, $110 million contract before the 2022 season. He became a dependable presence in the rotation and helped the Blue Jays reach three consecutive postseasons during his tenure, including last year’s World Series run.

In August, Toronto traded Gausman to Chicago for prospects Brett Bateman and Ty Southisene, officially signaling a change in direction for a club that had entered 2026 with championship aspirations.

Chicago Cubs’ Kevin Gausman Chasing World Series After Toronto Blue Jays Exit

Though Gausman started feeling the heartbreak much earlier in the season, his official departure from the Blue Jays was more overtly emotional.

“Kevin Gausman stood in the corner of the Toronto Blue Jays home clubhouse days before this summer’s trade deadline,” Bannon added. “He knew his time in Toronto was over. With tears welling in his eyes, the veteran looked around the room, trying to figure out what happened.”

The Cubs acquired Gausman because they needed an experienced starter capable of handling meaningful postseason innings, and his familiarity with October baseball made him an especially intriguing addition.

His connection to Toronto, however, clearly has not disappeared. Gausman spent five seasons there, developed close relationships throughout the organization and became one of the franchise’s most recognizable veterans.

Even while wearing a Cubs uniform and embarking on another playoff run, the disappointing nature of his exit from Toronto will linger.