Cubs acquire reliever Morgan, trade prospect to Guardians

CHICAGO – One of the stated goals for Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer this offseason was to build up a deeper bullpen inventory. Setbacks early on last season within the relief corps created a domino effect that took months to sort out.

On Wednesday, the Cubs took a step in that planned direction by acquiring reliever Eli Morgan from the Guardians in exchange for outfield prospect Alfonsin Rosario (No. 21 on Pipeline’s Top 30 list for the Cubs). To clear room on the 40-man roster, Chicago designated infielder Patrick Wisdom for assignment.

“Our bullpen numbers the second half of the season were really, really strong,” Hoyer said at the end of the season. “And among the top in baseball. But at a critical moment, when those guys struggled and were hurt early, we didn't have enough depth in that moment. And that hurt us. So that's something we have to address.”

Morgan is 28 years old, has four years of big league experience as part of Cleveland’s bullpen and is under contractual control for the next three seasons. The right-hander is eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason and also has one Minor League option remaining, making this a cost-effective addition with some built-in flexibility.

All those logistical factors aside, Morgan is also coming off his best performance at the big league level. Last season, the righty turned in a 1.93 ERA with a .256 weighted on-base average against him, per Statcast. In 42 innings, Morgan had 34 strikeouts with 11 walks issued and a .194 opponents’ average.

Morgan’s fastball checked in at 92.2 mph on average last year, ranking in the 21st percentile in baseball, according to Statcast. Beyond that, however, the reliever has a plus changeup and above-average slider. The slider overtook the changeup as Morgan’s most-used secondary pitch in ‘24, generating a 32.8% whiff rate.

Wisdom, 33, spent the past five seasons with the Cubs, playing mostly third base and offering elite power, especially against left-handed pitching. He set Chicago’s single-season rookie record for home runs with 28 in 2021, when he finished fourth in voting for the National League Rookie of the Year Award. In a sporadic bench role last year, Wisdom hit .171 (.629 OPS) with eight homers in 75 games.

Rosario was a sixth-round pick by the Cubs in the 2023 Draft and reached Single-A Myrtle Beach last season. In 109 games, the 20-year-old center fielder hit .230 with 16 homers, 73 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and a .767 OPS.

Morgan joins a Cubs bullpen that is a work in progress in terms of personnel and roles.

Rookie Porter Hodge reached the Majors and turned into a late-inning option last season. Nate Pearson was acquired at the Trade Deadline in July and should have a big role in ‘25. Lefty Luke Little was growing into a trusted weapon before a left shoulder/lat injury ended his campaign in July. The Cubs added Tyson Miller via trade in May, and he turned into a stabilizing presence.

Three relievers from last year’s bullpen (Jorge López, Drew Smyly and Yency Almonte) are free agents, and Adbert Alzolay (recovering from Tommy John surgery) was designated for assignment on Tuesday. The Cubs also have decisions to make by Friday on whether to tender Julian Merryweather and Keegan Thompson (both arbitration eligible) contracts.

To Hoyer’s point, the in-season moves made by the Cubs last season helped the bullpen post a 3.33 ERA from June 1 through the end of the campaign. That was the second-lowest mark in the NL and ranked fourth in the Majors during that timeframe. Prior to June, the Cubs logged a 4.61 ERA (14th in NL and 27th in MLB), while dealing with injuries and subpar performances.

The Cubs’ showing in May (10-18) – exacerbated by the team’s lineup-wide offensive drought that month – played a significant part in their inability to climb back into postseason contention. Looking back, Hoyer acknowledged that the front office should have added more bullpen resources last winter.

“Being self critical, I feel like that's something that I didn't do a good job of last offseason,” Hoyer said. “When I look at our bullpen, I'm really proud of the work our whole staff did during the season. … We didn't have the depth [early on] that we needed. And that's something that I know we'll certainly look to improve going forward.”