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Former Cubs Reliever DFA'd by Blue Jays

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Andrew Wright | Last updated Mar 27, 2025 1:00 PM ET

At one point during the 2021 MLB season, right-hander Tommy Nance looked like he was soaring towards being a lockdown reliever in the back end of the Chicago Cubs bullpen. 13 of his first 14 appearances were scoreless, and Chicago thought they'd found a hidden gem.

The rest of that season was a dumpster fire and Nance finished the year with a 7.22 ERA. He allowed multiple runs in six of his final 13 appearances of the season and was DFA'd by Chicago prior to the 2022 season.

Nance was picked up by the Miami Marlins and appeared in 35 games and posted a 4.33 ERA. A promising bounce-back season in 2023 had Marlins fans hopeful that Nance would become a mainstay in the bullpen. That, unfortunately, did not happen, and he was forced to miss all of the 2023 season after having Tommy John surgery.

Nance was released by the Marlins and picked up by the San Diego Padres. He did not appear in any games for San Diego before being traded over to Toronto for the remainder of the 2024 season.

After 20 appearances and a 4.09 ERA in 2024, Nance has now been DFA'd by Toronto and will be looking for a new place to pitch in 2025. His 5.06 ERA in six Spring Training appearances certainly did not help his case for making the Opening Day roster for Toronto.

The Blue Jays will have five days to explore a trade for Nance. If they are unable to do so, Nance will officially be released and free to sign with the team of his choosing.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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