The Cubs opened the trading season by acquiring a former top prospect.

The team traded for righty reliever Nate Pearson from the Toronto Blue Jays. Pearson, 27, was a former top-10 prospect in baseball in 2020 and on top-100 boards as recently as 2022.

The Cubs sent minor league outfielder Yohendrick Piñango and minor league infielder Josh Rivera to Toronto to complete the deal.

He has struggled to find his footing in the majors with the Blue Jays, pitching to a 5.21 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in 93 career games (5 starts).

Pearson provides something the Cubs’ bullpen has lacked most of the season — potent velocity. His four-seam fastball and sinker both average nearly 98-mph — ranking in the 95th percentile in baseball, per Statcast — and has hit triple digits multiple times this season.

Despite his high ERA, Pearson has shown a knack for racking up strikeouts and loads of them. In 40 innings, the righty has 51 strikeouts this season, carrying a 28% strikeout rate, in the 85th percentile in baseball.

The move is in line with president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said the Cubs would pursue this trade deadline. The Cubs are 7 games under .500 and 6.5 games back of the NL Wild Card to open the day on Saturday and Hoyer said earlier in the week the club would pursue moves that help the clubs beyond just this season.

“I think we probably won’t do a lot of moves that only help us for this year,” Hoyer said on Monday. “If moves help us in ‘25 and beyond — I think we’re still exceptionally well positioned — I think that’s what our focus will be. But, just helping ‘24 I think that probably won’t be our focus unless things change dramatically.”

That was before the Cubs dropped 3 of their next 4 games, seeing them fall even more in the standings. Pearson can help the Cubs bullpen in the present and is under club control through 2026.

While the Cubs won’t go into a complete sell-off, some of the players that the Cubs could move on from will be from their relief corps, so there figure to be some opportunities after the July 30 deadline.

Piñanago, 22, is hitting .263 at Double-A Tennessee with 9 home runs, 40 RBI and 10 stolen bases. Piñango is Rule-5 eligible this offseason. Rivera was the Cubs’ 2023 3rd-round pick and is hitting .169 with 4 home runs for Tennessee.

Complete Cubs trade deadline content:

–In a stunning move, Cubs deal away Christopher Morel in big trade with Rays
–Who is Isaac Paredes? The book on the new Cubs third baseman
–WATCH: Christopher Morel shares emotional farewell with teammates and coaches in Cubs dugout
–Cubs acquire hard-throwing pitcher Nate Pearson