MLB trade grade: Cubs take on intriguing reclamation project from Blue Jays

The Chicago Cubs are self-proclaimed sellers ahead of Tuesday's MLB trade deadline, so naturally their first trade is addition, not subtraction.

Chicago has acquired right-handed reliever Nate Pearson from the Toronto Blue Jays, per FanSided's Robert Murray and first reported by ESPN's Jesse Rogers.

Pearson, 27, has appeared in 41 games (40.0 innings) for the Blue Jays this season, posting a 5.63 ERA and 1.550 WHIP. He has 51 strikeouts under his belt. A first-round pick in 2017, Pearson has dealt with his share of ups and downs in Toronto. He's in need of a fresh start, which the Cubs can provide.

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Cubs take upside swing on Blue Jays' Nate Pearson ahead of trade deadline

Josh Rivera (Cubs' No. 23 prospect) and Yohendrick Pinango (Cubs' No. 29 prospect) are rerouted to Toronto as part of the trade. Pinango needs to be added to the Blue Jays' 40-man roster this winter to avoid the Rule Five draft, per ESPN's Kiley McDaniel.

Toronto essentially gets two Double-A position prospects in exchange for their most notable recent draft bust. Pearson arrived in the MLB with high expectations back in 2020, but he never found his footing with the Blue Jays.

There are positive indicators for Chicago fans to invest in. Pearson's fastball can kiss triple digits, with velocity in the league's 95th percentile, per Baseball Savant. He's also in the 84th percentile for strikeout rate (28.0%), leaning heavily on his blistering fastball and a high-80s slider to miss bats.

The downside, of course, is that Pearson allows far too many explosive hits and tends to let innings get away from him. His mistakes pile up and he has been yanked early more than once by Toronto. His -0.6 WAR is not the greatest indicator for those hoping Pearson meaningfully improves Chicago's bullpen in the short term.

For the Cubs, this is essentially an upside swing, hoping that Pearson flourishes with a change of location. It's also additional bullpen depth ahead of a potential sell-off from Jed Hoyer, which should adequately restock the farm system.

From Toronto's perspective, it's a chance to reset the deck following years of disappointment from Pearson. With contention out the window, there's no harm in losing a mediocre bullpen arm. Rivera and Pinango aren't elite prospects by any stretch, but both represent potential depth options at positions of need, especially as Toronto prepares to clean house.

This trade has pretty clear win-win potential. The Jays are getting two top-30 prospects from the Cubs for a sub-replacement level reliever, so Toronto probably earns the "winner" crown for now, but Pearson is a worthy reclamation project for a Chicago team that can afford to be patient and test theories down the stretch. Craig Counsell has a long history of maximizing his bullpen, so this is a definite win for Pearson individually.

Cubs trade grade: C+
Blue Jays trade grade: B+