The Blue Jays traded Tommy Nance to the Minnesota Twins on Friday afternoon.
On Friday, the Toronto Blue Jays traded reliever Tommy Nance to the Minnesota Twins for catching prospect Ryan Sprock.
The deal makes sense for the Twins, who are looking to stay afloat in the crowded American League wild card race. In order to do that, they need to solidify one of the worst bullpens in baseball.
For the Jays, it gets them an intriguing prospect who is now in High-A ball.
For what it's worth, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic doesn't think this move indicates that the Jays are fully selling at the trade deadline. He says they could do that, but this move isn't necessarily the proof of that. He reminds people that Nance is out of options and has been pitching in low-leverage spots recently.
This way of thinking seems to track with ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney, who recently told the 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast that he could see the Blue Jays taking key selling decisions all the way down to the wire. He was asked if Jeff Hoffman could get dealt to the Mariners, which prompted his response.
About Nance
Now 35 years old, Nance is a five-year veteran of the Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlins and Blue Jays. He's been with the Jays since 2024, appearing in 82 total games, including 32 this season.
He's 6-9 for his career with a 4.25 ERA, and he's 1-2 with a 3.82 ERA this season. He's struck out 34 batters in 33.0 innings.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Tommy Nance (45) warms up during batting practice before a game against the New York Mets at Rogers Centre. Nick Turchiaro-Imagn ImagesAbout Sprock
Now 21 years old, Sprock was drafted last year out of Elon. He's hitting .297 this season with five homers and 38 RBIs. He has a .427 on-base percentage.
He figures to be years away from the majors, but his development could coincide with Alejandro Kirk's timeline as well. Kirk is under contract through 2030, so perhaps Sprock can serve as a backup in that time, and then take over for Kirk once he's ready to transition to DH - or another organization.
Also in the news for the Blue Jays
The MLB Draft begins on Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia at 1 p.m. ET. The Blue Jays have three picks on Day 1.
Everything you need to know about the Jays and the draft is available here.
You can also check out a list of each first-round pick since 2000 here.
The Blue Jays will play the San Diego Padres on Friday at 9:40 p.m. ET.
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