In a recent At The Letters podcast hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling, the two mentioned how the Toronto Blue Jays are internally discussing the possibility of moving former top prospect pitcher Nate Pearson back to the rotation next season. The right-hander has worked mostly as a bullpen arm since the midway mark of the 2021 season.

When Pearson was drafted back in 2017, the JUCO product was working out of the rotation and featured a high 90s fastball that instantly had him near the top of the organization’s prospect list. As Pearson worked his way up the minor league ladder, injuries and setbacks kept putting him on the shelf and hampering his development, and the potential ‘future ace’ kept having to overcome hurdles to reach the big leagues.

There were times when he was downright dominant in the minors – a 2.30 ERA across 25 starts and three levels in 2019 for example – and times when he struggled on the mound, such as that 2021 season when he started to transition from the rotation to the bullpen after starting the season on the IL.

The Florida product made his big league debut in 2020 and since then, he has rode the options bus between the Major Leagues and triple-A Buffalo in an attempt to carve out a full-time role on the Blue Jays roster. Across four seasons, Pearson owns a 4.98 ERA and a 1.423 WHIP through 110 1/3 innings and 88 appearances – five of which were starts. He has amassed three saves at the big league level and sports a 4.6 BB/9, an 8.2 H/9, and a 10.1 K/9 and works with a four-seam fastball, slider, and curveball.

Frame-wise, Pearson has the outlook one would be looking for in a starter. The 6-foot-6 pitcher has a repeatable delivery and the ability to pitch deep into games, although it has been quite some time since the club has needed him for extended effort. While the sample size is limited to five starts in the Majors, Pearson has struggled to a 7.23 ERA through 18 2/3 innings and has allowed 15 earned runs and five homers compared to his relief stats, which sit at a 4.52 ERA through 91 2/3 innings.

It’s easy to see why the Jays would consider stretching out Pearson again, as his frame, plus fastball, and ability to pitch multiple innings makes him a shoo-in candidate for a starter on paper.

As well, moving Pearson back to the rotation adds some additional depth to an organization that could use a starter or two next season with Yusei Kikuchi eligible for free agency this winter and Alek Manoah likely on the shelf to begin the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery earlier this season. Top prospect Ricky Tiedemann is likely the next man up (although he has his own injury dilemmas) and Pearson would be joining Bowden Francis, Yariel Rodríguez, and Chad Dallas as depth starters for the Jays.

The biggest hurdle for Pearson is staying healthy, and outside of a comebacker in 2018 that broke his arm, he has dealt with injuries to his lat, abductor, elbow, sports hernia surgery, and a bout with mononucleosis that saw him miss time either in the minors or big leagues.

Moving him to the rotation increases the risk of injury considering the increased workload, something the club will have to monitor. Adding to the intrigue is that Pearson is out of minor league options next year, so he needs to crack the Opening Day roster or risk being exposed to the waiver wire while being removed from the 40-man roster.

For now, Pearson continues to try and carve out a role in the Blue Jays bullpen and has been battling as of late – sporting a 771 ERA through his last seven outings while allowing 12 hits and six earned runs. While he may become a rotation depth piece next season, for now, the right-hander needs to find some consistency this season or he too could be heading back to Buffalo in 2024.