Cubs trade for righty reliever, part ways with longtime slugger | Chicago Cubs News

Jed Hoyer and the Cubs front office have made it no secret that they’re looking to augment their bullpen.

Wednesday afternoon, they took steps in that direction — and parted ways with a longtime slugger in the process.

The team acquired right-handed pitcher Eli Morgan from the Guardians in a trade for outfield prospect Alfonsin Rosario, the team announced. Patrick Wisdom was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Morgan.

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The 28-year-old Morgan pitched in 32 games for Cleveland in 2024 and was a solid member of baseball’s best bullpen. He had a 1.93 ERA in 42 innings with 34 strikeouts and a 0.98 WHIP. Opponents hit .194 off him in 2024. Morgan has a career 3.23 ERA in 173 innings as a relief pitcher.

Morgan relies on a three-pitch mix — a fastball that averages 92.2 mph, a slider that sits at 86.8 mph and a changeup at 78.9 mph. The fastball was his best pitch in 2024, opponents hit .176 off the four-seamer.

The former 8th-round pick is arbitration-eligible this offseason, which made him an expendable asset for Cleveland. That made it easy for the Cubs to pounce on a reliever with plenty of upside.

If he pitches like he did in 2024, he could well factor into a reliable piece for Craig Counsell’s bullpen in 2025. The backend of the Cubs bullpen has intriguing options with Morgan, Porter Hodge, Luke Little and Nate Pearson all set to return in 2025.

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Wisdom, 33, was a prime non-tender candidate ahead of Friday’s tender deadline. The righty posted a .629 OPS with 8 home runs in 174 plate appearances in 2024. He was mainly a platoon option against lefty arms but struggled in the role this season. Wisdom had hit 56 home runs from 2021 to 2023, becoming a power option for the Cubs.

However, the acquisition of Michael Busch at first base and Isaac Paredes midway through 2024 limited his opportunities and made his status more uncertain.

Rosario, 20, was the Cubs 6th-round pick in 2023. He showed power at the plate in 2024 at Low-A Myrtle Beach, hitting 16 home runs, 18 doubles, 4 triples and posting a .767 OPS.