Cubs Swing Trade with AL Central Club, Add Pitching Depth

The Chicago Cubs bolstered their bullpen on Wednesday. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that the Cubs will acquire reliever Eli Morgan from the Cleveland Guardians. In exchange, the Cubs parted with their 21st-ranked prospect, outfielder Ismael Mena was not involved in this deal however Alfonsin Rosario was, to complete the trade. To clear roster space for Morgan, the Cubs designated third baseman Patrick Wisdom for assignment. This move injects a high-quality late-inning arm into the Cubs’ bullpen, bolstering their relief corps ahead of the 2025 season.

Cubs Acquire Eli Morgan, DFA Patrick Wisdom

Morgan, a 28-year-old right-hander, was drafted by the Cleveland Guardians in the eighth round (252nd overall) of the 2017 MLB Draft. After spending his entire professional career with the Guardians, Morgan enjoyed a breakout season in 2024. He posted a stellar 3-0 record, 1.93 ERA, and a minuscule 0.98 WHIP in 32 appearances. Although he missed time due to right elbow inflammation, Morgan played a crucial role in anchoring MLB’s top-ranked bullpen.

Morgan’s four-year MLB career has yielded impressive results: an 18-12 record, 3.97 ERA, 21 holds, 1.16 WHIP, and 262 strikeouts in 265.1 innings. Notably, the majority of his innings have come in relief, where he has maintained a strong 4:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Morgan’s arsenal features a 92.2 mph 4-seam fastball with sufficient arm-side run to induce a higher-than-average pop-up rate. He complements this with a hard slider (88 mph) and a slower variant (82 mph). Morgan’s slider and changeup (previously the lowest velocity in MLB in 2021 at 75.3 mph) serve as his primary strikeout pitches.

Morgan’s exceptional control and ability to perform in both late-inning and long-relief appearances have made him a valuable asset. Despite limited appearances in 2024, Morgan ranked above-average to great in key metrics such as Run Value, xBA, Average Exit Velocity (85 mph), and Chase Rate.

As an arbitration-eligible player in 2026, Morgan remains under club control through the 2028 season. Currently ranked 27th among MLB relievers with a market value of $4.7 million, Morgan’s $945,000 salary for 2025 represents a bargain for the Cubs, who are acquiring a high-quality relief pitcher at a fraction of his worth.