Blue Jays send INF Espinal to Reds in exchange for minor league RHP McElvain

TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays acquired minor league right-hander Chris McElvain from the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday in exchange for infielder Santiago Espinal.

McElvain, 23, went 5-5 with a 3.75 ERA in 23 games last season, including 19 starts, splitting time between two levels of Class-A.

A four-year veteran who represented Toronto in the 2022 All-Star game, Espinal hit .248 with two home runs and 25 RBIs in 88 games last season. He hit .200 with no homers and six RBIs in 13 games this spring.

Espinal, 29, played second base, third base and shortstop last season. He is set to earn $2,725,000 this season.

By trading Espinal, the Blue Jays appear set to include infielder Ernie Clement on their roster to begin the season. Clement, who is out of options, hit .380 with one home run and 10 RBIs in 28 games with the team in 2023.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb