The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline.TORONTO — Kevin Gausman sits in the corner of the Toronto Blue Jays clubhouse hours before every start, wearing a blue toque on his head and holding a pen in his hand. He is calm amid booming music and pre-game chaos. He pulls out a notebook to scribble affirmations and preparatory notes. It’s been the same routine for five years.On Saturday, before what could have been his final start with Toronto, Gausman flipped open his book and tore out a random page. His eyes drifted to the small numbers written in the corner.It was page 34.It was the number that’s been stitched to his back for five seasons and 147 starts with Toronto. It’s the number he chose to honour his childhood idol, Roy Halladay, when the Jays legend died in 2017. It’s the sort of serendipitous moment that can’t be scripted.Why haven't there been many MLB trades yet?Andy McCulloughIf that was the final page, it was a fitting one.Gausman, 35, has been open about his mindset as the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaches. He doesn’t want to leave, but he understands the reality of Toronto’s record (52-59). The Jays are seven games under .500 and four back of the final American League playoff spot. Even after a recent hot stretch, the club is expected to sell at least some expiring players before the deadline. Gausman, in the final season of a five-year deal, is a top candidate to go. There is no guarantee he’ll be traded, but it sure feels likely.“As much as you can try to not think about it, it’s going to creep into your mind throughout the day,” Gausman said. “It was tough to not think about.”Monday’s deadline likely meant that Saturday was Gausman’s final home start. It made his 5 2/3 innings in a 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals a last win. It made his march off the mound feel like goodbye.Gausman kept his head down as he walked off. He couldn’t look up. Every fan rose at Rogers Centre, each aware of what that walk meant. They began to clap. Four steps from the dugout, Gausman finally lifted his eyes, pressing his hand to his heart over and over. That’s what farewell looks like, even if it’s not certain.“Just appreciation for receiving that kind of love,” Gausman said. “I’ve played this game long enough to know those things don’t happen all the time. Just tried to soak it in. Had to go down in the tunnel after to regroup myself.”It’s easy to see why Gausman, in less than five years, became a player worthy of that ovation. He ranks eighth in franchise history in quality starts, 11th in wins, seventh in strikeouts, ninth in games started, and seventh in ERA. The man who walks out to Pink Floyd’s “Money” was worth every penny of his $110 million deal.“Kev will go down as one of the best free-agent signings the organization has made, especially from a pitching standpoint,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “He’s remarkably consistent, professional, good teammate, low maintenance, kind of everything that you want in a frontline dude.”But the relationship between pitcher and fanbase goes deeper than metrics and milestones. Choosing Toronto over the New York Mets in 2021, Gausman said, was the best decision he and his family ever made. He bought a house in midtown and drives to the park each day, waving at fans who notice him at red lights. He wants to travel around Canada after he retires. He speaks about Toronto the way Torontonians do. Every city wants their athletes to reflect them. Every fanbase wants to feel loved. Gausman provided it all.“I hope they realize that I’ve embraced not just the team, but the country. I really love this city and everything that it stands for,” Gausman said. “I knew I was going to love it right away.”That’s what made Saturday’s start so emotional. Neither the Blue Jays players nor the team’s fans want the relationship to end. But this is what happens when teams lose games and the trade deadline looms. All players move on. All players retire. There isn’t a career without a goodbye. But hardly anyone thought Gausman’s would come so soon.“I think that riding off into the sunset is hard to do for anyone in this business,” Schneider said.There wasn’t a conversation, Schneider said, about not starting Gausman on Saturday. The cautious move, perhaps, would’ve been to skip the veteran’s turn in the rotation and avoid risking a last-minute injury before the deadline. But Gausman, who wanted one more start, was handed the ball.He has started in the World Series, wild-card round and on Opening Day for the Jays. He has thrown complete games and delivered Cy-Young-calibre seasons. But Saturday’s start, and that walk off the mound, will be just as memorable.Schneider, after the win, claimed he didn’t pull Gausman with two outs in an inning to give Gausman that ovation. He was just managing to win, or so he said. But every fan and player in the building knew what that was. It was a chance to say goodbye after a final game together.