Kevin Gausman helped end Cubs' season, now a return to SF Giants makes almost too much sense

The Wild Card round of the MLB playoffs is almost over. The San Diego Padres made quick work of the Chicago Cubs and former SF Giants pitcher Kevin Gausman took the loss in Wednesday’s night’s deciding game. A return to San Francisco may be his most logical next stop.

Gausman was traded from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Cubs at the deadline. Maybe in some alternate universe where the Giants were actually competitive in 2026, Gausman would have made sense as a perfect rotation addition in anticipation of a playoff push. Yet, the Giants were obviously in full-on sell mode so a Gausman reunion was not in the cards.

His few months in Chicago were not all that exceptional as he posted a 4-2 record with a 4.83 ERA in nine starts. He struck out 57 batters and walked just 11 in 50 innings of work so at least he pounded the strike zone, something Giants pitchers really struggled to do in 2026.

Now Gausman will be a free agent once the season is over. It’s unclear whether he will be signed before a likely lockout which should go into effect on December 1 assuming MLB and the MLBPA do not come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement by then.

Giants are one of Kevin Gausman's most logical destinations in free agency

No matter when he signs though, the Giants make sense as a landing spot. Gausman enjoyed his time in San Francisco and wanted to come back after the 2021 season. Instead, the Giants let him walk in free agency without putting up a fight and he signed a five-year, $110 million deal with Toronto which ended up being a great signing.

From 2022 to 2025 Gausman had a 3.48 ERA with Toronto. Even though 2026 saw his ERA go up to 4.51 with the Jays, he was a very solid pitcher over the course of that contract and if the Giants could go back in time they definitely should have given him that deal.

Now the Giants have several rotation spots to fill and Gausman is a guy who can probably be had on a two or three-year deal. He’s 35 and coming off a bit of a down year so he’s not going to come at an insane price, but the Giants will have to be willing to pony up at least a little. He will probably command something like $15-20 million per year so if the Giants could get him on a two-year, $35 million deal that would be reasonable.

He would be a solid No. 2 option in the rotation behind Logan Webb who would surely love being reunited with a pitcher he’s good friends with. The reunion would probably be about five years too late but with the rotation in dire straits Gausman makes almost too much sense for San Francisco.

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