The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired right-hander Chris McElvain from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for infielder Santiago Espinal.
Espinal, 29, appeared in 93 games for the Blue Jays in 2023, hitting .248/.310/.335 with two home runs and 25 RBI.
McElvain, 23, spent the 2023 season in Single-A and High-A where he made 23 appearances, including 19 starts, going going 5-5 with a 3.75 ERA. The Reds selected McElvain in the eighth round of the 2022 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
As Sportnset's Ben Nicholson-Smith reports, the move would save the Blue Jays $2.725 million in payroll.
It also opens up a spot on the team's 40-man roster which the team will need within the week to select a backup catcher like Brian Serven. The team would also need to open up another spot if Daniel Vogelbach or Joey Votto make the team to start the season.
The Blue Jays acquired Espinal from the Boston Red Sox back in 2018 in exchange for outfielder Steve Pearce. He made his MLB debut in 2020 and has hit .273/.331/.367 with 11 home runs and 99 RBI in 347 career games.
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