KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Three days before the MLB trade deadline, the Chicago Cubs made their first move.
The Cubs on Saturday acquired right-hander Nate Pearson from the Toronto Blue Jays, the team announced. In exchange, the Cubs sent two prospects — outfielder Yohendrick Piñango and shortstop Josh Rivera — to the Blue Jays.
“We’re excited to acquire what we think is a really talented arm,” manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s still kind of figuring out his way in the big leagues and trying to figure out his path to being really good, but we think that all the ingredients are there and that we’re getting a guy who’s just getting better, and that’s exciting. He’s obviously very talented in terms of arm talent and so we’re excited to get to work with him.”
Piñango, 22, reached Double-A Tennessee for the first time this season and has posted a .223/.316/.345 slash line in 55 games. He is Rule 5 draft-eligible this offseason. Rivera, 23, was a third-round pick last year and has struggled offensively this season with Tennessee. He has recorded only 10 extra-base hits in 253 plate appearances while posting a .169 average and .277 on-base percentage.
The move aligns with the type of deals president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer indicated this week that the Cubs would pursue in the lead-up to Tuesday’s trade deadline: players who can help the team next year and beyond.
Pearson, 27, won’t be a free agent until after the 2026 season.
“He is a guy that, yeah, he’s young in terms of his major-league experience and plan on him being here for a while,” Counsell said.
A 2017 first-round pick of the Blue Jays, Pearson has struggled the last two years, particularly this season. Pitching in relief, Pearson owns a 5.23 ERA in 82 2/3 innings over 76 appearances between 2023-24. He is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA in 41 outings in 2024.
The Cubs have the next two months to work with Pearson and see if they can unlock the consistency he hasn’t been able to harness the last few years. Counsell believes it can be a good thing when a player like Pearson, who has spent his entire professional career in the Blue Jays organization, joins a new team with fresh voices and perspectives.
“But you also don’t rush that,” Counsell said. “You let it happen a little bit.”
Right-hander Julian Merryweather is a good example of a pitcher who dealt with injuries and struggled to harness his talent in the majors before the Cubs claimed him off waivers from the Blue Jays in January 2023. After posting a 5.64 ERA in 47 games (52 2/3 innings) with Toronto from 2020-22, Merryweather has become one of the Cubs’ most reliable high-leverage relievers. He has posted a 3.26 ERA through 74 games (77 1/3 innings) over the last two years.
Merryweather played with Pearson in the Blue Jays organization and understands how a change of scenery can help.
“First off, just a good clubhouse guy, easy guy to hang out with, fun guy to be around,” Merryweather told the Tribune. “And the talent speaks for himself, just crazy weapons, can get guys out in so many different ways and is blessed with so much natural ability.
“I think Nate will definitely enjoy the coaching staff here, and once they get together and work together, I think it’ll be a great fit.”
Bringing in Pearson also could be coverage for subtractions from the Cubs bullpen with arms like Mark Leiter Jr. drawing strong interest. But—and more moves could be coming with more than two days to go before Tuesday’s deadline arrives, the Cubs still have a variety of paths they can take to altering the roster, and there is a strong possibility that features dealing right-hander Jameson Taillon.
“The deadline means there’s going to be transactions,” Counsell said. “So I don’t know where they’re going to come from or what part of the team they’re going to be on, or whether we’re going to add or subtract. The first one is an add. We’ll see where it goes from here.”
