Traded or not, Kevin Gausman is preparing for the end of his time with the Toronto Blue Jays. The 35-year-old right-hander and his family are packing up their home in the city ahead of a sale, uncertain not only about what happens before Monday’s trade deadline, but also his future beyond this year.He and the Blue Jays haven’t discussed an extension either, underlining how change, sooner or later, is coming.“No, that hasn’t been talked about,” Gausman told Sportsnet. “The focus was on this year, especially after last season. I’m definitely open to that, but we’ll see. I need to sit down and talk to my family and figure out the next step after this season. The focus is still obviously on this season and this team and this organization.”The unknowns hovering around him and the rest of the Blue Jays should make this an emotional weekend during a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. After Dylan Cease starts the opener, Gausman takes the mound Saturday followed by Max Scherzer on Sunday in what could be the final outing for both with the club. Scouts from at least four teams — the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Cincinnati Reds — watched the team’s series at Washington this week, and while it’s worth noting the Nationals might also act as sellers, it’s an indicator that rivals expect the Blue Jays to subtract before the deadline.Gausman’s preference is to stay in TorontoThey are still believed to be operating on multiple tracks, exploring swaps of big contracts for big contracts and other longer-term plays. And while it’s also possible they go as deep as they did during 2024’s summer selloff, they’ll only go that far if the return, in their view, justifies diminishing the on-field product for the final two months of the season.Grim as the Blue Jays’ playoff odds of 6.9 per cent heading into Friday’s action (as calculated by Fangraphs) look to be, sitting only 5.5 games out of the American League’s third wild-card spot remains in their thinking.Related:Report: Kevin Gausman says Blue Jays ‘not nearly as close-knit’ as 2025Kevin Gausman’s future with Blue Jays unclear as losses pile upTo that end, as of Wednesday, Gausman said he hadn’t had any conversations with GM Ross Atkins about the deadline, and he’s expecting to start on Saturday, as scheduled.“They haven’t told me anything, so where I’m at is just trying to keep an open mind to every possibility, just so that I don’t get blindsided by something,” said Gausman. “That might sound bad, but that’s just the way I’m preparing for the possibilities. Like I’ve said, I don’t want to go anywhere. When I think about myself, I think of myself as a Blue Jay. I don’t want to leave any of these guys. This group is really special. But I certainly understand the business. There’s a little bit in my control, but there’s also a lot that’s not.”The bit in his control is an eight-team no-trade clause — Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Detroit, Seattle, Pittsburgh, the Athletics, White Sox and Mets — but several potential suitors are outside that group.Gausman’s connection to the team and the city was evident after his last start in Toronto on July 21, when he and wife Taylor, who flew in to surprise him, walked out onto the field, sat against a wall in left field, reflecting on their Blue Jays experience.Adding to their emotions is that “whether we’re going somewhere on a different team or not, we’re leaving Toronto after this year, we’re selling our place regardless, so we’re having to pack up everything.” A looming lockout once the collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1 only further muddles what happens in 2027, but “for me, it’s just kind of about how much longer do I want to do this. That’s kind of the question.”For all those reasons, Gausman plans to make a point of soaking in this weekend, although “to be honest, I’ve kind of felt that way this whole season,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen after this year. There are a lot of question marks.”“Like I said, I don’t want to go anywhere, but I also understand that it’s a possibility,” he added. “It’s kind of where we’re at the way we’ve played up to this point. But you just never know in this game. I’ve been around long enough to kind of know that, and that’s why I feel so lucky that I’ve been here long enough that this is the first year where I have to kind of deal with this. Whatever happens, it’s kind of out of my control.”The same goes for a number of Blue Jays players as 6 p.m. ET Monday grows closer and closer.