Trade Breakdown: Eli Morgan headed to the Cubs |
At long last, the Chicago Cubs made their first significant offseason move, although it wasn't a move many saw coming. In the waning hours of the 40-man roster decisions, many fans noticed that neither Adbert Alzolay nor Brennen Davis would be part of this team next season, as Ben Cowles and Owen Caissie have been added to the 40-man roster.
Alzolay underwent Tommy John Surgery in the summer and isn't expected back until 2026, so non-tendering him made a ton of sense, especially when you can open up a spot for Owen Caissie. The same can be said about Davis, who was still a top-25 prospect in the Cubs system but couldn't stay healthy. Pair that with an embarrassment of riches in the outfield, and it made sense to cut him loose, as that opened the door for Cowles to hit the 40-man roster. On Wednesday, the Cubs continued to make roster moves as the team has officially moved on from Patrick Wisdom, thus opening another spot on the 40-man. As good as Wisdom was when he made contact, making contact was a massive issue for Wisdom as this was a long-time coming move. You could even make the case that he should've been cut last season, but what is done is done, and the Cubs have let go of another player on this roster for the past few seasons. With Wisdom being released, the Cubs had another spot on the 40-man roster to make a move, and they didn't waste any time. They got together with the Guardians in a trade, sending Eli Morgan to Chicago in exchange for Alfonsin Rosario. The 28-year-old right-hander has been around the Guardians organization since 2021 and is coming off an incredible season.
Looking back at this past season, Morgan had by far the best showing of his career, which was a common theme when you look at the Guardians' pen as a whole. Morgan was lights out across his 32 games and 42 innings, posting a 3-0 record and an impressive 1.93 ERA. He also picked up three holds and filled various roles in the pen.
In an age where Velocity is king, especially in the pen, Morgan isn't a hard thrower as he lives in the 92-93 MPH range with his heater. Thus, location is crucial to his success as he is known for limiting hard contact while inducing plenty of ground ball outs. Despite his less-than-overpowering stuff, Morgan knows how to pitch. He walked 11 compared to 34 strikeouts, and the Cubs continue to focus on strike-throwing guys.
Morgan has seen action in 161 games (19) starts and has thrown more than 260 innings for his career. His overall numbers have been solid at 18-12, as has his 3.97 ERA, but the move to the bullpen turned his career around. He has posted a 3.23 ERA across 144 career relief appearances with 21 holds.
Although this isn't a flashy move like adding a closer would be, it is a good move, as he is an instant upgrade to a pen that needed upgrades. When you look at how many games the Cubs blew in the early part of the 2024 season, you knew a lot of changes were going to be made, and you started to see those changes last season when guys like Tyson Miller, Nate Pearson, and Jorge Lopez were acquired and put with Porter Hodge in the back end.
Three of those four guys are back for this season, and Lopez is likely to return, as the back of the Cubs' pen is in much better shape than a season ago. The middle of the pen and the long relief roles are question marks, and Morgan can help address some of those questions. Morgan has one of the best barrel rates in the game at just 2.5%, while his change also sits as the 13th best in baseball. Add that to his three years of control; this is the perfect deal for the Cubs.
Given his 21 career holds, Morgan has pitched late in ballgames in high-leverage situations, so this pickup gives the Cubs another weapon to use late in games. He has also started games and can be used as a multi-inning option, so look for the Cubs to use his versatility wisely. Chicago needs more pitchers like him, and he is just the start of what could be a busy trade season for this team.
"He just got outs."
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) November 21, 2024
Eli Morgan posted a 0.98 WHIP in 42.0 IP in 2024.
Going the Guardians way as part of the deal is one of the faster moving OF prospects in the Cubs system in Rosario. Coming off a breakout showing in 2023, where he hit .230 across 109 games, the overall production stood out as Rosario connected for a team-high 16 homers and 73 RBIs to go with 18 doubles.
Rosario was a sixth-round pick by the Cubs in 2023 from the P27 Academy in Lexington, SC, and would've been stuck in the OF log jam that is this organization. He now has a chance to make his way up the Guardians organization.
