Tommy Thorpe comes to New Britain during his fifth season of professional baseball and first in the Atlantic League after being acquired in a trade with Chicago of the American Association. This year with Chicago, the lefthander appeared in 38 games (six starts) and posted a 4-4 record with a 2.53 ERA and 60 strikeouts over the course of 74.2 innings of work.

The 25-year-old made his professional debut in 2014 after being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the eighth round of the 2014 MLB draft. He spent four years in the Cubs farm system, reaching as high as the Triple-A level.

In 154 career minor league appearances (23 starts), Tommy owns 18 wins with a 3.21 ERA and 281 strikeouts in 336.1 innings of work.