Blue Jays trade Santiago Espinal to the Reds
The Toronto Blue Jays have made a trade.
The team announced today that they’ve dealt infielder Santiago Espinal to the Cincinnati Reds for right-handed pitcher Chris McElvain.
OFFICIAL: We’ve acquired Minor League RHP Chris McElvain from the Reds in exchange for INF Santiago Espinal. pic.twitter.com/mr3SNxgt0c
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 20, 2024
Espinal played four seasons with the Blue Jays. He was named an All-Star in 2022 and finished the season with seven home runs, 51 runs batted in, and a .267 batting average.
The 29-year-old was originally acquired by the Canadian club in a trade with the Boston Red Sox before the 2018 trade deadline. He played a variety of positions around the infield during his time with the Blue Jays.
The team posted a thank you message to Espinal on social media after news of the trade was made official.
Thank you, Santi, for everything you did for our team and the impact you made in our community 💙 pic.twitter.com/JrSvYRYUc4
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 20, 2024
McElvain is a 23-year-old prospect who went to Vanderbilt University. He was selected by the Reds in the eighth round of the 2022 MLB draft. He split last season between the A and A+ levels, pitching a total of 96 minor league innings.
He finished the season with an ERA of 3.75 split across the two levels. He threw 81 strikeouts and walked 41 batters.
When at Vanderbilt, he accumulated a total record of 11-6 across three years. He threw 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings and had a 4.33 ERA.
The Blue Jays are in the midst of spring training at the moment. They take on the Pittsburgh Pirates tomorrow.
The Blue Jays start their regular season on March 28 when they take on the Tampa Bay Rays in Florida. They’ll play their first game north of the border on April 8 when they take on the Seattle Mariners in their home opener.