<p>The American League East is not off to the strongest start in recent memory, and the Toronto Blue Jays continue to struggle to stay afloat. The bullpen has always been an uphill battle, which makes you wonder if previous pitchers were worth retaining long term. Two former players now pitch on the same team and have forged two very different paths to somewhat similar outcomes.</p>
<p>Toronto once employed a top prospect arm who held a ton of hype and proven metrics. The other pitcher was acquired in 2018 by the Blue Jays in a trade that sent Josh Donaldson to Cleveland. This reliever held high hopes and was placed in positions of trust.</p>
<p>Right-handed pitchers Nate Pearson and Julian Merryweather are the two arms. Pearson was a first-round pick by the Jays back in 2017 and held top prospect rankings within the organization. Merryweather was acquired as the &#8216;Player to be Named Later&#8217; and eventually made his Major League debut in 2020. Both pitchers now pitch in the Chicago Cubs organization.</p>
<h2>Previous Blue Jays history</h2>
<p>If you know the generic history of both pitchers, then you probably know the answer to this question. Pearson held all the marbles about prospective expectation and hype. Aside from a high-heater fastball, Pearson did not have much to show with the Jays, struggling to find a rhythm in the big leagues.</p>
<p>Pearson struggled to stay consistent, whether working out of the rotation or bullpen, and also dealt with injuries along the way. The big right-hander never exactly recovered. It was a matter of time before Pearson was out of a Blue Jay uniform, and that came to fruition last summer.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Connor Norby gives the Marlins a seventh inning lead over the Cubs! <a href="https://t.co/ikSyy5Xzul">pic.twitter.com/ikSyy5Xzul</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) <a href="https://twitter.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1922463112285880489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>His final line in Toronto was in 2024, where he posted a 5.63 ERA through 41 relief outings. In total, he authored a 5.21 ERA and a 5.11 FIP through 115 2/3 innings, working mostly in relief (just five starts through 93 outings). He struck out 130 batters to the tune of a 10.1 K/9. The Jays moved him at the deadline last summer to the Cubs in exchange for a pair of prospects.</p>
<p>Merryweather had a better experience up north, coming in fresh, flashing pitchability and the eagerness to get outs. His repertoire included a fastball that sat in the higher 90s, and his overall profile was overly ranked, but he was able to throw a baseball.</p>
<p>At one point, Merryweather was being considered to be a longer-term closer as a fill-in. He was seen more as a short-haul reliever. His last season with Toronto was also decently ugly with a 6.75 ERA in 26 2/3 innings pitched, also striking out 23 and walking seven. Through 47 outings, he amassed a 5.64 ERA.</p>
<h2>How do they fare now?</h2>
<p>Merryweather was DFA&#8217;d during the 2022/2023 offseason, and Chicago claimed him shortly after. He then went on to be an integral part of their bullpen in his first year, finishing with a 5-1 record, 3.38 ERA, 15 games finished, 98 strikeouts and 36 walks. He finished the year with 72 innings pitched. The past two seasons have been less than kind to the right-hander, with Merryweather missing a large portion of the 2024 season due to injury, and this year, he&#8217;s struggled to find his 2023 form. Through 19 outings, he&#8217;s allowed nine earned runs across 17 innings while seeing a decrease in his K/9 to a 7.4 mark while struggling with his command (10 walks).</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cubs</a> Roster Moves:</p>
<p>-Matt Shaw optioned to Triple-A. <br />-Vidal Brujan had been reinstated from the 10-day IL. <br />-Eli Morgan placed on the 15-day IL with a right elbow impingement. <br />-Luke Little recalled from Triple-A.<br />-Daniel Palencia recalled from Triple-A. <br />-Nate Pearson optioned…</p>
<p>&mdash; Taylor McGregor (@Taylor_McGregor) <a href="https://twitter.com/Taylor_McGregor/status/1912273173623771579?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Pearson&#8217;s initial tenure with the club was strong, posting a 2.73 ERA through 19 outings down the 2024 stretch. That changed in 2025, as the right-hander started struggling out of the gate, allowing 10 earned runs through 8 2/3 innings. He was optioned to triple-A on April 15th and hasn&#8217;t found much success there, allowing five earned runs through 9 1/3 innings to the tune of a 4.82 ERA while opponents are hitting .286 off his stuff.</p>
<p>Their pitch metrics are fairly similar, with Merryweather coming out on top in the majority of their statistical categories. Merryweather does have more innings to play with, giving more of a shot at success. Merryweather is still effective with his pitch location and effectiveness, where Pearson lacks.</p>
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The American League East is not off to the strongest start in recent memory, and the Toronto Blue Jays continue to struggle to stay afloat. The bullpen has always been an uphill battle, which makes you wonder if previous pitchers were worth retaining long term. Two former players now pitch on the same team and have forged two very different paths to somewhat similar outcomes.

Toronto once employed a top prospect arm who held a ton of hype and proven metrics. The other pitcher was acquired in 2018 by the Blue Jays in a trade that sent Josh Donaldson to Cleveland. This reliever held high hopes and was placed in positions of trust.

Right-handed pitchers Nate Pearson and Julian Merryweather are the two arms. Pearson was a first-round pick by the Jays back in 2017 and held top prospect rankings within the organization. Merryweather was acquired as the 'Player to be Named Later' and eventually made his Major League debut in 2020. Both pitchers now pitch in the Chicago Cubs organization.
<h2>Previous Blue Jays history</h2>
If you know the generic history of both pitchers, then you probably know the answer to this question. Pearson held all the marbles about prospective expectation and hype. Aside from a high-heater fastball, Pearson did not have much to show with the Jays, struggling to find a rhythm in the big leagues.

Pearson struggled to stay consistent, whether working out of the rotation or bullpen, and also dealt with injuries along the way. The big right-hander never exactly recovered. It was a matter of time before Pearson was out of a Blue Jay uniform, and that came to fruition last summer.

https://twitter.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1922463112285880489

His final line in Toronto was in 2024, where he posted a 5.63 ERA through 41 relief outings. In total, he authored a 5.21 ERA and a 5.11 FIP through 115 2/3 innings, working mostly in relief (just five starts through 93 outings). He struck out 130 batters to the tune of a 10.1 K/9. The Jays moved him at the deadline last summer to the Cubs in exchange for a pair of prospects.

Merryweather had a better experience up north, coming in fresh, flashing pitchability and the eagerness to get outs. His repertoire included a fastball that sat in the higher 90s, and his overall profile was overly ranked, but he was able to throw a baseball.

At one point, Merryweather was being considered to be a longer-term closer as a fill-in. He was seen more as a short-haul reliever. His last season with Toronto was also decently ugly with a 6.75 ERA in 26 2/3 innings pitched, also striking out 23 and walking seven. Through 47 outings, he amassed a 5.64 ERA.
<h2>How do they fare now?</h2>
Merryweather was DFA'd during the 2022/2023 offseason, and Chicago claimed him shortly after. He then went on to be an integral part of their bullpen in his first year, finishing with a 5-1 record, 3.38 ERA, 15 games finished, 98 strikeouts and 36 walks. He finished the year with 72 innings pitched. The past two seasons have been less than kind to the right-hander, with Merryweather missing a large portion of the 2024 season due to injury, and this year, he's struggled to find his 2023 form. Through 19 outings, he's allowed nine earned runs across 17 innings while seeing a decrease in his K/9 to a 7.4 mark while struggling with his command (10 walks).

https://twitter.com/Taylor_McGregor/status/1912273173623771579

Pearson's initial tenure with the club was strong, posting a 2.73 ERA through 19 outings down the 2024 stretch. That changed in 2025, as the right-hander started struggling out of the gate, allowing 10 earned runs through 8 2/3 innings. He was optioned to triple-A on April 15th and hasn't found much success there, allowing five earned runs through 9 1/3 innings to the tune of a 4.82 ERA while opponents are hitting .286 off his stuff.

Their pitch metrics are fairly similar, with Merryweather coming out on top in the majority of their statistical categories. Merryweather does have more innings to play with, giving more of a shot at success. Merryweather is still effective with his pitch location and effectiveness, where Pearson lacks.

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