The Chicago Cubs drafted outfielder Alfonsin Rosario in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB Draft.
It’s easy to see why the Cubs selected Rosario this high up in that year’s draft, despite him coming straight out of high school. Standing at 6’2″ and weighing over 220 pounds, Rosario already had the frame of a fully grown man despite having turned 19 years old less than three weeks before getting drafted. He had a ton of physical tools and seemed poised to skyrocket through the Cubs’ minor league system.
Rosario had a successful 2024 season in the Cubs’ Single-A affiliate Myrtle Beach Pelicans, hitting .230 with a .767 OPS and 16 home runs in just 109 games.
Then, on November 20, 2024, the Cubs traded Rosario to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for right-handed pitcher Eli Morgan.
Perhaps Chicago decided to trade Rosario because they had just acquired Kyle Tucker, which added an elite hitter to an already deep and talented outfield where there would presumably be no spot available for him in the coming years.
Rosario went on to have a great 2025 campaign in Cleveland’s farm system, hitting .251 with an .806 OPS, 21 home runs, and 14 stolen bases. He’s now the No. 12 prospect in their entire organization and is expected to be in the big leagues by 2027, according to MLB.com.
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Alfonsin Rosario Gets Honest About Cubs Trading Him
Rosario was interviewed by Tony Carter of Cleveland.com for a November 19 article and opened up about his feelings about the trade from Chicago to Cleveland at one point.
“Man, at first, being traded from Chicago was sad,” Rosario said. “I wasn’t excited to leave the Cubs, but I got to Cleveland, and I’ve been having fun playing for the Guardians organization.
“I am very happy to be here,” Rosario added.
Cleveland fans, you got a great one. Alfonsin Rosario is a guy with big power/speed. The whiffs are a very real developmental step he needs to address. It’s an upside play for sure. Great human being. He was set to rank 16th in the Cubs system for me. pic.twitter.com/iO5ifwd4iK
— Greg Zumach (@IvyFutures) November 20, 2024
It’s still too early to tell who won this trade between Rosario and Eli Morgan. While Morgan was traded after a 2024 season where he produced a spectacular 1.93 ERA in 42 innings out of the bullpen for the Guardians, he only threw 7.1 innings for the Cubs in 2025 and had a 12.27 ERA.
Time will tell whether Morgan can bounce back and whether Rosario can develop into a capable big league hitter. Despite Rosario’s sentiment, there still seems to be a chance that this deal will be win-win for both sides, since Chicago’s outfield is still very crowded.
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