Chicago Cubs bolster bullpen as they land elite relief pitcher from Guardians
The Chicago Cubs have made their first significant move of the offseason. On Tuesday, the club announced that they acquired relief pitcher Eli Morgan from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for 20-year-old outfield prospect Alfonsin Rosario.
Even though Eli Morgan might not be a household name, he is a solid pickup for the Cubs as they look to return to playoff contention in 2025. Morgan is from Rancho Palos Verdes, California, and is coming off the best season of his career, posting a 3-0 record with a 1.93 ERA with 34 strikeouts and a 0.976 WHIP over 42.0 innings of work.
It remains to be seen what role Morgan will have with the Cubs; however, he is an upgrade to their bullpen heading into the new campaign. Although he has only recorded one save in his MLB career, there is a chance that he could contend for the closer spot if the Cubs don't add any other significant relievers this offseason.
Morgan still has three years of team control remaining, which makes him an even more interesting addition for the Cubs. As the team looks to return to the postseason for the first time since 2020, landing a proven reliever with a team-friendly deal is a crucial building block for the front office.
Slugger Patrick Wisdom was DFA'd in a corresponding move to make space on the 40-man roster. It remains to be seen how the Cubs approach the rest of the offseason, but with Eli Morgan added, they may shift their focus away from the bullpen for now.
The Cleveland Guardians landed one of the Chicago Cubs more intriguing prospects in the deal
For the Cleveland Guardians, Alfonsin Rosario is an intriguing outfield prospect they'll look to develop. A sixth-round pick of the Cubs in the 2023 MLB draft, Rosario enjoyed a decent season with the team's Single-A affiliate, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.
In 109 games, Rosario posted a .230 batting average with 18 home runs, 72 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. While Rosario is still raw in some aspects of his game, particularly plate discipline, he is a worthy addition to a Cleveland franchise that does a good job of developing its young talent.
Although Rosario may not have the same prospect hype as some of the Cubs' young players such as Owen Caissie or Pete Crow-Armstrong, he is worthy of a closer look.