Cubs trade for Blue Jays pitcher Nate Pearson |
The Chicago Cubs are buyers, after all, at the trade deadline as they have traded for Blue Jays reliever Nate Pearson for 22-year-old prospect Yohendrick Pinango and 23-year-old shortstop Josh Rivera.
Pearson has a 5.63 ERA and 1.550 WHIP in 41 appearances this season. He was once a top prospect, and a change of scenery could be what is needed for Pearson. This is a move for 2025 for the Cubs to get another arm in the bullpen who can help out with his 98 MPH fastball and impressive slider. After this season, he will have two years left of arbitration. Pearson's arrival signals that the Cubs will be trading some of their bullpen pieces to contenders in the coming days. Pinango and Rivera are both currently in Double-A in the Cubs organization. Pinango's MLB Pipeline bio: Signed for $400,000 out of Venezuela in 2018, Pinango debuted the next year and led the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League with 86 hits while placing fourth in the batting race at .358. After the pandemic shutdown, the Cubs jumped him to Single-A shortly before his 19th birthday in 2021. He hadn't shown much power until 2024, when he has made some swing changes during his third straight season in High-A. Pinango has some of the better bat-to-ball skills in the system, but in the past they translated into substandard contact and cut into his walk totals. He's now using a wider stance, loading his hands better and keeping his quick left-handed stroke in the zone longer. He's also making improved swing decisions, helping him to turn on more pitches and hit them harder than before. With his high baseball IQ, Pinango makes the most of his average speed, arm and outfield range. He can steal an occasional base but fits best in left field, which put more demands on his bat. If he can get to 20 or more homers a year he might be a regular, though he profiles more as a fourth outfielder. Good luck to Yohendrick Pinango! He grew up a lot this year and I wish him well. pic.twitter.com/TlWSjwNR2R Rivera's MLB pipeline bio: The highest-ranked member of Florida's 2019 recruiting class to make it to Gainesville, Rivera could have factored in the top five rounds had he been signable. He did little offensively in his first three years with the Gators or with wood bats in the Cape Cod League, then broke out with 19 homers to help Florida reach the College World Series finals in 2022. He proceeded to High-A almost immediately after turning pro as a third-rounder and slashed .250/.320/.402 in 25 games. Rivera developed more patience and hit the ball significantly harder in 2023 than he had previously. He always had displayed a quick right-handed swing and he did a better job of keeping it on plane, allowing him to drive the ball with authority to all fields. He has the upside of a .260 hitter with 15-20 homers per season, though he'll need to continue improving his selectivity to get there. Rivera plays quicker than his average speed thanks to his instincts. More steady than spectacular at shortstop, he has average range and solid arm strength. His most likely outcome will be to become an offensive-minded utilityman in an organization well stocked with middle infielders, including a pair of Gold Glovers in Chicago. More to come on this breaking news story. The Blue Jays have reportedly traded Nate Pearson to the Chicago Cubs. pic.twitter.com/EFpOUDwvmn It's weird that so much of Twitter's first reaction to Nate Pearson to Cubs is that they thought the Cubs are sellers. But selling players for 2024 and buying players for 2025 and 2026 are perfectly consistent things. The Cubs are *short-term* sellers. "We're excited to acquire what we think's a really talented arm."
Craig Counsell on Nate Pearson. pic.twitter.com/AeDRTFx8fy
