The Toronto Blue Jays spent five seasons relying on Kevin Gausman as one of the most dependable anchors of their pitching staff. From his arrival as a free agent through his final season in Toronto, the right-hander established himself as a key part of the club’s rotation and one of the more accomplished pitchers of the Blue Jays’ recent era.

That made the decision to move Gausman at the trade deadline particularly noteworthy. Toronto ultimately dealt the veteran to the Chicago Cubs, receiving a pair of prospects as it shifted its focus toward the future while Gausman joined a contender looking for another proven arm for October.

Across 29 starts with the Blue Jays this season, Gausman had the worst ERA of his Toronto career at the time of the trade. But since then he has enjoyed a surprising surge with the Cubs, particularly in his last start against the rival Milwaukee Brewers, when he limited one of the best lineups in the sport to just one run in seven innings.

In an interview from the dugout immediately after that astounding start, Gausman sent a revealing message about how he was able to formally move on from Toronto

“Honestly, it took my first start, you know, pitching in a Cubs jersey for it to kind of be real and kind of turn the page,” Gausman told FOX’s Ken Rosenthal when asked how he was able to completely move on from his long tenure with the Blue Jays.

Chicago Cubs Trade Prize Kevin Gausman Turns The Page From Toronto Blue Jays

The Cubs acquired Gausman in a deal that sent center fielder Brett Bateman and Class-A infielder Ty Southisene to Toronto. Southisene had been regarded as one of Chicago’s better prospects, while Bateman also represented a notable piece of the organization’s future and he has caught on quickly as a sparkplug for the Blue Jays’ offense.

For the Cubs, however, the price was justified by the opportunity to add a pitcher with extensive postseason and regular-season experience.

Gausman has quickly provided signs that the investment could pay off.

“The Cubs are 5-1 in Gausman’s six starts since the deal,” Patrick Mooney noted for The Athletic . “Though Gausman’s outings have varied in effectiveness (4.37 ERA), the flashes of dominance and overall body of work have left little doubt that he should be operating near the front of Chicago’s potential playoff rotation, perhaps as the Game 2 starter following Clay Holmes.”

That winning record is particularly notable for a Cubs team with legitimate postseason aspirations. Even with some uneven results, Gausman’s ability to miss bats and handle high-leverage situations gives Chicago another experienced option behind its top starter.

Toronto Blue Jays Face High Bar After Chicago Cubs Trade

Toronto, meanwhile, faces the difficult task of replacing what Gausman provided over five seasons.

“Gausman was one of the most reliable pitchers we’ve seen in Toronto, also capable of peaks that put him into the conversation as a true ace,” Keegan Matheson wrote for MLB.com at the time of the trade . “Now that he’s gone, the Blue Jays will be trying to capture that magic again, but he’s set such a high bar with what he accomplished over his five-year, $110 million deal.”

That contract produced exactly the type of stability Toronto hoped to buy when it signed Gausman, though he suffered some poor starts this season. His departure therefore represents more than simply removing another veteran from the rotation; it leaves the Blue Jays attempting to recreate a level of consistency that became increasingly familiar during his time with the club.

Meanwhile, the pitcher himself has evidently turned the page pretty quickly.