Former Blue Jays top prospect on the move again as Cubs take flyer on hard-throwing reliever

Whenever a pitching prospect is known for throwing heat to blow hitters away, usually that player is destined for a solid MLB career, whether it be as a starter or a reliever. However, in the case for former Toronto Blue Jays top prospect Yosver Zulueta, he is still trying to find his niche in the majors after several professional baseball seasons.

Zulueta found himself on the move once again this week when the Seattle Mariners dealt the 28-year-old right-hander to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for cash considerations. The former Blue Jays pitcher was previously designated for assignment by the Mariners last week, so the Cubs were willing to take a flyer on the once-promising, hard-throwing reliever.

Yosver Zulueta still looking to find his footing in the majors

Originally signed by Toronto as an international free agent back in 2019, Zulueta was at one point in time viewed as the potential future closer for the Jays during his time with the organization. He was ranked as high as No. 3 on the Blue Jays top prospects list according to MLB Pipeline in 2023 as well.

However, despite showing some promise by maintaining an ERA close to 4.00 while striking out more than a batter per inning throughout his minor league career with the Blue Jays, Zulueta never got the chance to suit up for Toronto at the big league level. In the end, the right-hander was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays in early 2024.

From there, Zulueta would make stops with the Cincinnati Reds and Mariners organizations in search of his opportunity to play in the majors. After being claimed off waivers by the Reds, he made his MLB debut in 2024 as a reliever. Zulueta would struggle to maintain a big league gig during his time in Cincinnati as he would compile a 5.32 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, giving up 14 earned runs with 11 walks and 25 strikeouts in 23.2 innings pitched in 19 appearances over parts of two seasons with the Reds.

With the underwhelming performance, he would ultimately suffer the same fate as he did with the Blue Jays, as he was designated for assignment by Cincinnati earlier this year. Zulueta would then be traded to the Mariners where he spent all of his 2026 campaign so far with their Triple-A affiliate Tacoma.

With the Cubs, the 28-year-old reliever will aim to fulfill his potential and receive the opportunity to prove that he belongs in the major leagues. Things certainly didn’t work out too well in Chicago previously with another former Jays flamethrower in Nate Pearson. So the Cubs will hope things will work out better this time around with Zulueta.

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