In an era of Major League Baseball dominated by velocity, Toronto Blue Jays reliever Trent Thornton carved out a career as a curveball specialist.
In fact, according to a Baseball America scouting report, “the spin rate on Thornton’s curveball ranks among the highest in baseball, regularly registering above 3,000 rpm. Thornton’s innate feel for spinning the baseball carries over to his slider.”
After suffering a season-ending Achilles tendon tear last season while pitching for the Seattle Mariners, the now 32-year-old will get a new lease on baseball life thanks to the Chicago Cubs. According to an announcement by the team, Thornton signed with the Cubs on Wednesday on a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to spring training â though whether Thornton will be recovered from his injury by that time remains unclear.
Thornton was not, however, added to the Cubs’ 40-man roster.
The former North Carolina Tar Heelâs ability to spin the ball saw him rise to become the Blue Jays’ No. 18 prospect in Baseball America rankings, after the Houston Astros traded him to Toronto in 2018 for All-Star utility infielder Aledmys DÃaz.
A Fifth-Round Draft Pick in 2015
The Astros drafted Thornton in the fifth round three years earlier, with the 139th overall pick. But the right-hander was apparently never in Houston’s plans, because they traded him before he was able to throw a big-league pitch â even though he advanced all the way to the Triple-A level in just two seasons.
Debuting with the Blue Jays as a starter on March 31, 2019, Thornton got off to a promising start. Starting the fourth game of the season when, to that point, no Blue Jays starter had allowed a single run over 19 innings. Thornton kept up the pace set by Marcus Stroman, Matt Shoemaker and Aaron Sanchez, throwing five scoreless innings against the Detroit Tigers.
But inflammation in his right elbow hampered Thornton’s rookie season. He finished with a 4.84 ERA in 29 starts and three bullpen outings.
Blue Jays Trade Thornton Again
After repeated occurrences of his elbow issues over four-plus seasons split between Toronto and the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, the Blue Jays dealt Thornton at the 2023 trade deadline to the Seattle Mariners for minor-league infielder Mason McCoy.
But the bespectacled breaking-baller continued to struggle with injuries, as well as a bout of appendicitis in May 2025. In parts of three Seattle seasons, however, Thornton got into 127 games, all but one out of the bullpen. He put together a highly respectable 3.65 ERA in that time.
But on July 31, in an outing against the Texas Rangers, Thornton came off the mound to field a ground ball. That’s when he felt his Achilles go out on him.
Thornton elected free agency after last season, though recovery from the injury was expected to take between six and eight months. In a best-case scenario, that timeline could see Thornton ready to get back on the mound to take advantage of his spring training invite from the Cubs, in Mesa, Arizona.
Realistically, as he continues to recover from the Achilles tear, Thornton seems destined to Des Moines, where he would start his comeback with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs.
If his Achilles continues to heal as expected, the seven-year veteran could contribute out of the Wrigley Field bullpen later this season.
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