Another former Blue Jays pitcher is heading to the ‘Windy City’.
Per Tread Athletics, a renowned training facility that is mostly dedicated to training and coaching pitchers, announced that right-hander Trent Thornton has landed a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs for 2026. Former Jays southpaw Ryan Borucki signed with the crosstown rivals this past weekend.
Thronton found himself at Tread following a three-year stint with the Seattle Mariners in their bullpen. Before heading to the West Coast, Thornton spent parts of five seasons with the Blue Jays, working as a starter first before becoming a bullpen arm over time. The right-hander led the Jays in innings pitched in his rookie year (154 1/3 innings) back in 2019, and across 260 1/3 innings and 108 appearances, he posted a 4.77 ERA and a 4.67 FIP.
Check out the bullpen that helped him get a deal! pic.twitter.com/J64oCMPSkp
— Tread Athletics (@TreadHQ) January 19, 2026
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At the 2023 trade deadline, the Jays moved Thornton to Seattle in exchange for infielder Mason McCoy.
Across 140 2/3 innings for the Mariners, the North Carolina product pitched to a 3.65 ERA and a 4.08 FIP. As a full-time reliever with Seattle, he decreased his BB/9 to a stellar 2.4 mark while posting a 1.173 WHIP. Last season, he got off to a rough start, seeing his ERA and FIP climb to 4.68 and 4.74, respectively, but struggled to stay healthy off the field.
Appendicitis forced him to the sidelines in early May, and an Achilles tear in early August put him on the sidelines for the remainder of the season, limiting him to just 33 outings. He and former Blue Jays reliever Tayler Saucedo were non-tendered by the Mariners this past winter, which is why Thornton ended up at Tread Athletics this winter.
While Thornton will likely be on the sidelines as he continues to ramp up from his Achilles injury, the Cubs are hoping for a bounce-back from the right-hander once he is healthy and ready to go.
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