Underrated midseason pickup proving to be a stroke of brilliance by Cubs front office

In what looked like a roll-of-the-dice move, the Chicago Cubs traded for former top prospect Nate Pearson in the days leading up to this year's trade deadline. The stuff was always there, but the right-hander had never been able to put it all together with the Blue Jays and the shine had definitely worn off.

It was a move made with an eye on 2025 and beyond, but Pearson seems to have already turned a corner, emerging as a shutdown presence in the Cubs bullpen. That was on display again on Tuesday night in Los Angeles as Chicago escaped with a third-straight victory, thanks to a game-saving home run robbery courtesy of Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Pearson bridged the gap from Shota Imanaga to Porter Hodge in the team's historic combined no-hitter in early September, but his contributions stretch far beyond that one night. The former first-round pick has stepped up in a big way as the team continues to weather a flurry of injuries on the pitching staff, working to a 0.621 WHIP since joining the Cubs.

That number trumps what he did in Toronto over parts of four campaigns (1.461 WHIP), where he was supposed to emerge as a front-of-the-rotation force with an overpowering arsenal. Instead, control issues plagued him (4.7 BB) at every turn and this summer, the Blue Jays' front office finally decided to turn the page.

Controllable via arbitration for two more seasons after 2024, Pearson looks like he'll really have a chance to settle in and re-write the narrative surrounding him as a member of the Cubs. We know the bullpen will be an area of focus for Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins this offseason, but Pearson should be among the familiar faces back in camp next spring.