The Cubs acquired right-hander Nate Pearson from the Blue Jays on Saturday. Outfielder Yohendrick Pinango and infielder Josh Rivera will go to the Blue Jays in the deal. Rivera is ranked 23rd while Pinango is the Cubs' 29th-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline.

A former highly touted pitching prospect, Pearson has dealt with frequent injuries during his career and owns a 5.21 ERA over 93 appearances (five starts) in the Majors.

The 27-year-old, who is controllable through 2026, has pitched exclusively in relief for Toronto over the past two years, but he recently expressed a desire to return to starting in the future.

Toronto’s trade of Pearson comes on the same day that the team announced that current top prospect Ricky Tiedemann (MLB Pipeline’s No. 43 overall prospect) would undergo Tommy John surgery. The move also follows a trade of Yimi García to the Mariners on Friday. More deals are likely to come as the Blue Jays shift into selling mode prior to the Trade Deadline on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.

The Cubs could also trade away some pieces prior to the Deadline, but they’ll take a chance on Pearson’s potential as they focus on 2025 and beyond. In the present, he’ll provide a fresh arm on a Chicago pitching staff that has battled a glut of injuries.