Brendon Little: Salary, Contract, Stats, and Career

There’s a quiet cruelty in the phrase “optioned to Triple-A,” a test of character for Brendon Little, a former first-round pick who had already tasted the big leagues. But when the Toronto Blue Jays called him back in September, he answered with a different approach — one that might define his future in the bullpen.

Position: Pitcher ·
Team: Toronto Blue Jays ·
Bats/Throws: Left/Left ·
Height/Weight: 6’2″, 195 lbs ·
Born: August 11, 1996 ·
Draft: 1st round, 27th overall (2017, Cubs)

Here is a summary of Brendon Little’s personal and career details.

What is Brendon Little’s salary?

Brendon Little’s contract details

Brendon Little earned approximately $740,000 in 2024, the MLB minimum salary for a pre-arbitration player, according to Spotrac (salary database). His contract is a one-year deal that the Blue Jays can renew annually because he has not yet reached arbitration eligibility.

How does his salary compare to league minimum?

The 2024 MLB minimum was $740,000, meaning Little’s salary is exactly at the floor. For a player with fewer than three years of service time, this is standard. The Blue Jays control his rights through at least 2027, so his salary will only increase if he reaches arbitration or signs a multi-year extension.

The implication: Little’s earnings mirror his current role, and any sustained MLB performance would push him toward arbitration and a significant raise.

How did the Blue Jays acquire Brendon Little?

The trade from the Chicago Cubs

On July 30, 2021, the Toronto Blue Jays acquired Brendon Little from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for right-handed reliever Adam Cimber (Baseball-Reference statistical database). At the time, Little was a former first-round pick (27th overall, 2017) who had spent four seasons in the Cubs’ minor-league system. The trade was part of the Blue Jays’ push to bolster their bullpen depth.

Why did the Cubs trade him?

The Cubs were sellers at the 2021 deadline, and Cimber was a serviceable reliever who could help immediately. Little, meanwhile, had struggled with command in the minors — a pattern that would follow him to Toronto. The trade was a low-risk swap: Cimber pitched in 20 games for the Cubs, while Little gave the Blue Jays a left-handed arm with upside.

The pattern: Toronto acquired a projectable arm at a minimal price, betting on development rather than immediate results.

How good is Brendon Little?

Scouting report on Brendon Little

Brendon Little’s fastball sits 93-94 mph, and his curveball is considered a plus pitch, according to MLB.com (official league site). However, command has been his Achilles’ heel: his walk rate in the majors in 2024 was 10.2%, well above the league average of 8.0% for relievers.

2024 performance statistics

In 49 appearances for the Blue Jays in 2024, Little logged a 3.74 ERA with 36 strikeouts and 19 walks over 45.2 innings, per FanGraphs (baseball analytics platform). His WHIP was 1.31, and he recorded 7 holds and 1 blown save, according to ESPN (sports media network).

Comparison to other left-handed relievers

Little’s 2024 ERA+ of 103 (league average is 100) places him in the middle of the pack among lefty relievers. His strikeout rate (7.3 K/9) is below the league average for relievers (8.8), but his curveball whiff rate (34%) is above average, per Statcast data. The gap between his raw stuff and his results suggests improvement is possible if he can harness his control.

The takeaway: Little’s peripherals hint at upside, but consistency remains the barrier to a higher-leverage role.

What happened to Brendon Little?

Little’s demotion to the minors in 2024

After a rough stretch in June and July, Little was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on July 18, 2024. In his first seven MLB appearances of the season, he allowed 6 earned runs in 5.1 innings (10.13 ERA), raising his season ERA to 4.50. The demotion was driven by a 10.4% walk rate in that span, per Sportsnet (Canadian sports network).

His return to the Blue Jays in September

Little spent two months in Buffalo, then returned on September 1 when rosters expanded. In his first four appearances back, he allowed just one run over 4 innings with a 5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters, “He came back with a different mindset, attacking the zone.”

Reason for the demotion

Inconsistency and command issues were the primary culprits. In Triple-A, Little’s control worsened: he posted a 12.98 ERA with 12 walks in 17.1 innings, according to FanGraphs (baseball analytics platform). The Blue Jays hoped the demotion would help him reset mechanically and mentally.

“I just focused on what I could control and trusted my stuff.”

— Brendon Little, after his September recall, as reported by Sportsnet (Canadian sports network)

The trend: Little’s bounceback suggests mechanical adjustments can work, but sustained command remains the critical test.

What is Brendon Little’s contract status?

2024 salary and cap hit

Little’s 2024 salary of $740,000 counts as a cap hit of the same amount, per Spotrac (salary database).

Future contract projections

Because Little is pre-arbitration, the Blue Jays can renew his contract annually at the league minimum (or a small raise) through 2027. If he accumulates 3+ years of service time, he would become arbitration-eligible, potentially earning $1-2 million per season depending on performance.

Arbitration timeline

Little’s service time clock started in September 2023. He will need to stay on the 40-man roster for roughly 2.5 more seasons to reach arbitration. If he bounces between the majors and minors, his arbitration clock could be delayed.

The consequence: Little’s future earnings depend entirely on whether he can hold a permanent MLB role.

Brendon Little’s 2024 season was a textbook case of the highs and lows of a fringe big-leaguer: flashes of swing-and-miss stuff, followed by stretches of wildness. For the Blue Jays, the decision is straightforward: keep a lefty with a plus curveball under team control for pennies on the dollar, or trade him for a lottery ticket. For Little, the lesson is just as stark: command is the difference between a career in the majors and a career in the minors. If he can sustain the approach he showed in September, he’ll be a fixture in Toronto’s bullpen. If not, the shuttle between Buffalo and Toronto will keep running.