With Deadline looming, Gausman improving but doesn't want to go anywhere

BOSTON -- We’ve reached that uncomfortable spot on the calendar when the Trade Deadline casts a shadow on every game.

The Blue Jays lost to the Red Sox on Sunday, 6-1, to drop two of three at Fenway Park, but the story of the day is how each of these individual performances could impact the Deadline, particularly from the Blue Jays’ veterans on expiring deals.

This is what mattered most:

1. Man in the spotlight: Kevin Gausman

Was that it?

Gausman’s next start would line up for Saturday, Aug. 1, at home in Toronto. If the Blue Jays are still positioned as clear sellers at that point, it’s possible that the Blue Jays could choose to hold Gausman back if trade talks are ongoing ahead of the Aug. 3 Deadline. There’s still some uncertainty baked into this, but that’s the spot Gausman and the Blue Jays are in now.

“I hope I don’t go anywhere. I don’t want to go anywhere. That would be my wish, and that would mean that we’re playing good baseball,” Gausman said after the loss. “But I also realize it’s a business. Whatever happens, it’s kind of out of my control.”

This still hasn’t been a strong stretch for Gausman, but Sunday’s performance was a step up from his last start against the Rays, at the very least. Gausman allowed three runs on five hits through six innings, striking out six batters while walking one.

“I felt a lot more like myself today than I have in a while,” Gausman said. “So that’s always good, but it was just not quite good enough.”

As it stands, Gausman has made 147 starts for the Blue Jays, which ranks him ninth in franchise history. Gausman’s 855 1/3 innings rank 11th.

2. The July of George

This looks more like the George Springer who led the Blue Jays to the top of the American League East a season ago, and eventually, the World Series.

Springer now has multiple hits in five of his last seven games, his energy suddenly evident in this lineup. The early half of Springer’s 2026 season was dragged down by a fractured toe, and while it’s difficult to measure how much the postseason run was still wearing on the 36-year-old physically, it couldn’t have helped. The version of Springer we’re seeing right now, though, is full of life and driving the ball consistently.

“He’s swinging at good pitches and laying off some stuff he was just putting in play a couple of weeks ago,” John Schneider said. “He has a good state of mind. He’s swinging the bat fast and he’s moving pretty well. I think with him, or anyone, it comes down to what you swing at. That’s what he’s doing, controlling the zone.”

There’s a risk of this being too little, too late, but even if this still leads to a trade for the Blue Jays ahead of the Aug. 3 Deadline, it can only be good news. A few weeks ago, it looked like Springer’s experience and postseason pedigree would be his main selling points to contenders. If you can throw a hot streak on top of that at the right time, those conversations get much more interesting.

The Blue Jays’ players keep insisting that anything can happen, too. If they want to pull off a miracle run and win 15 in a row like the Red Sox just did, then Springer will need to be leading that run, too.

3. Big picture: The Wild Card mess

The Guardians, now holding the final AL Wild Card spot, lost Sunday to the Rays but still hold a 5 1/2-game lead over the Blue Jays. In between, you’ll still find the Twins, Astros, Mariners, Orioles and Tigers, so this isn’t getting any less complicated.

The best way to look at this is still: How many games back of the final spot would the Blue Jays need to be in order to avoid selling on Aug. 3? Three games feels so close, but even then, you’re one of six or seven teams vying for one spot.

Keep an eye on those teams in the race, too, if any of them begin to signal that they’re beginning to buy or sell. This Trade Deadline feels like a logjam waiting on these teams, but it can’t last forever, and perhaps this weekend’s trade between the Red Sox and Nationals with Connelly Early for Curtis Mead will get things rolling.