The Cubs have traded left-handed pitcher Brendon Little to the Blue Jays in exchange for cash considerations, the Blue Jays announced. The 27-year-old has been selected to the 40-man. Right-hander Mitch White has also been added back to Toronto’s 40-man roster.
Little is a former first-round pick. The southpaw has the briefest of MLB résumés, consisting of a single relief appearance for the Cubs in 2022 (at Rogers Centre as a COVID substitute). He averaged 94.5 MPH on his sinker in that game but allowed three runs while recording two outs.
The Pennsylvania native spent this past season in Triple-A, working to a 4.05 ERA through 73 1/3 innings as a long reliever. Little struck out a league average 23.1% of batters faced but issued walks at a lofty 12% clip. The stuff was nevertheless intriguing enough for the Jays to give him a 40-man spot, which keeps him from becoming a minor league free agent. He has a full slate of option years and can bounce between Toronto and Triple-A Buffalo so long as he holds that place on the roster.
White is a more familiar name for the Toronto fanbase. Acquired from the Dodgers at the 2022 deadline, he has had a few stints on the MLB roster. He hasn’t found much big league success as a Jay, working to a 7.60 ERA across 55 2/3 innings. After being outrighted from the 40-man roster in August, however, he finished the year strong in Buffalo. The 28-year-old posted a 1.69 ERA in four September starts for the Bisons, holding opponents to a .160/.259/.253 line in the process.
That was enough for the Jays to prevent White from leaving in minor league free agency. If he keeps his place on the 40-man throughout the offseason, they’ll need to carry him on next year’s MLB roster or make him available to other clubs because he has exhausted his minor league options.
PLEASE no more Mitch White.
I suggest you go look at his tats from his last few outings.
Anchor, Chinese character for “love,” butterfly, “MOM” . . . pretty standard stuff, really.
In AAA. Four starts and he must be protected!
Sigh…
Shoutout to the Bryn Mawr kid.
Mitch White yet another example. Atkins hates to release guys he traded for. He can not admit he makes mistakes.
Every Bluejays fan wanted this guy gone and he was, he got waived and outrighted. The trade for him was a loss before white even put a jays jeresy on IMO as i thought Frasso was a great prospect who had top 3 starter upside, a 5th starter floor and likely closer if being a #3 starter didnt work out. Anyway mitch white absolutely killed it in AAA after being sent there so it would be foolish to let him go for nothing as he would have been rule 5 selected for sure. Im bot a huge shapkins fan but its stupid not to notice they have done more good then harm, even if that good is just making the playoffs to bow out right away. They have also made many more food trades then bad 1s
I don’t believe a 5.50 era in 55 AAA innings exactly qualifies as killing it.
His ERA is high bc of his really bad rehab outings back in May. We’re talking about his post DFA numbers which are the numbers the Jays FO care more about. In his 7 starts in Aug/Sept, after being converted back to a starter, he had a 1.89 ERA and 43K in 33 IP. His velo was up 3 ticks to 97.5 (career high) and he was a strikeout machine so something changed and is clearly working. No harm in adding him to the 40 man since there’s room. They really lack SP depth and they’d be silly to let him go when he seems to be healthy & back on track and has figured something out
Are you saying Derek Fisher wasn’t a stud?
There better be a good reason the cubs are trading Little for cash considerations.
As a Jays fan he seems like just a depth RP
As long as it’s not Luke Little I’m good with this
Geez, was about to wonder wtf they (Cubs) were doing. It’s Brendon Little NOT Luke LIttle! Guess only one Little makes the cut.