Blue Jays have traded reliever Nate Pearson to the Cubs

The Toronto Blue Jays have traded reliever Nate Pearson to the Chicago Cubs, as Jesse Rogers of ESPN first reported.

The Toronto Blue Jays are trading reliever Nate Pearson to the Cubs, sources tell @JeffPassan and me.

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) July 27, 2024

Yohendrick Pinango is a part of the deal. The 22-year-0ld left fielder is currently in AA but would need to be added to the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster this winter to be protected from the Rule 5 draft.

Also coming to the Jays is 23-year-old infielder Josh Rivera. He is said to be very solid defensively, but there are questions surrounding his bat, as he has an OPS of just .537 at the AA level.

OFFICIAL: We’ve acquired OF Yohendrick Pinango and SS Josh Rivera from the Cubs in exchange for RHP Nate Pearson.

Welcome to our #BlueJays family! pic.twitter.com/yePTbfHPmr

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 27, 2024

This marks the second trade for the Blue Jays with the deadline approaching, as they sent another reliever in Yimi Garcia, to the Seattle Mariners yesterday.

Pearson, considered a top prospect heading into the 2017 MLB Draft, was selected 28th overall by the Blue Jays. The 6-foot-6 pitcher was expected to dominate at the Major League Level, but that did not transpire.

While he did make his MLB debut in 2020, things never worked out as hoped. Instead, Pearson was used mainly as a reliever but often split his time between the Blue Jays and their Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons.

Pearson has appeared in a career-high 41 games this season, posting a 5.63 ERA and 51 strikeouts through 40 innings pitched. Despite the struggles, he is still just 27 years old and may be able to get things back on track with the change in scenery.

The struggling Blue Jays may not be done making moves just yet. They have several other pending free agents who are expected to be dealt, with the most notable being Yusei Kikuchi. Others who could be on the move include Justin Turner and Kevin Kiermaier.

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