Blue Jays Send Nate Pearson To Cubs For Two Minor Leaguers

Image credit: Nate Pearson (Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

At the same time as they announced that top pitching prospect Ricky Tiedemann would have Tommy John surgery, the Blue Jays swung a deal that would send one of their former top pitching prospects—righty Nate Pearson—to the Cubs for minor leaguers Yohendrick Pinango and Josh Rivera.

CUBS RECEIVE

Nate Pearson, RHP
Age: 27

Years ago, Pearson was one of the top pitching prospects in the sport. Injuries waylaid his career, however, and he’s settled into a reliever’s role. His last big league start came in 2021. He works primarily with a fastball that averages 98 mph and a slider that sits around 88 mph. He’ll also mix in a curveball from time to time. He’s racked up plenty of strikeouts, but poor command means he’s also allowed a great deal of hits.

BLUE JAYS RECEIVE

Yohendrick Pinango, OF
Age: 22

Pinango, who ranked 17th and was listed as a notable riser in BA’s midseason Top 30 prospects update earlier this month, signed with the Cubs in 2018 out of Venezuela. The righty swinger began the year at High-A South Bend before moving to Double-A Tennessee in mid May. He hits the ball plenty hard, and early in the season showed a dramatic improvement in his approach at the plate. His miss and chase rates are all manageable, and he’s done a much better job of getting the ball in the air since moving to Double-A. Pinango is a below-average athlete and is likely to settle in either left field or at first base.

Josh Rivera, SS
Age: 23

Rivera was the Cubs’ third-round pick in 2023. The Florida alum moved to Double-A in his first full season as a pro and has struggled to hit, producing a .537 OPS before being traded. His overall and zone-miss rates are elevated, and he has just 10 extra-base hits on the season despite solid exit velocity data. As an amateur, Rivera was lauded for his all-around skill set, including actions and arm strength that would give him a chance to stick at shortstop in the long run.