Cubs Trade For Shutdown Ex-Guardians Setup Hurler To Bolster Bullpen
November 20, 2024
2,881
Share
✓ Link copied to clipboard!
The Chicago Cubs are getting active early this offseason, making a trade to acquire a strong right-handed addition to their bullpen.
“The Chicago Cubs are acquiring right-handed reliever Eli Morgan in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians, sources tell ESPN” announced Jeff Passan of ESPN in a tweet on Wednesday, “Morgan was 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA last season and has a 3.23 career ERA in 173 innings as a relief pitcher.”
CLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 12: Eli Morgan #49 of the Cleveland Guardians throws a pitch during the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers during Game Five of the Division Series at Progressive Field on October… CLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 12: Eli Morgan #49 of the Cleveland Guardians throws a pitch during the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers during Game Five of the Division Series at Progressive Field on October 12, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Nick Cammett/Getty Images
The Cubs’ bullpen ranked 10th in the National League in 2024, finishing the season with a 3.81 ERA among relief pitchers. That final stat, however, looks much better than it did in the middle of the season, as the Cubs started June with a bullpen ERA of 4.61, which was among the worst in baseball.
Morgan will certainly serve as an asset to the struggling bullpen if he can replicate a season remotely similar to last year. In 2024 the 28-year-old posted a 1.93 ERA with a 34-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .197 batting average against and a 0.976 WHIP in 42 innings for the Guardians.
The news comes less than 24 hours after the Cubs announced they had designated former closer Albert Alzolay for assignment. Alzolay recently underwent Tommy John surgery and will not be available to pitch until late 2025.
Of the 32 appearances Morgan made last season, he closed seven games, registering zero saves. It is unclear at this time if the Cubs intend to use Morgan in a closing role, but however he is deployed, he is undoubtedly a net positive addition to a bullpen that desperately needed help.
More MLB: Ex-Red Sox Fan Favorite Signs With Rival Yankees To Bolster Infield Depth
Um die besten Erfahrungen zu bieten, verwenden wir Technologien wie Cookies, um Geräteinformationen zu speichern und/oder darauf zuzugreifen. Wenn Sie diesen Technologien zustimmen, können wir Daten wie das Surfverhalten oder eindeutige IDs auf dieser Website verarbeiten. Die Nichteinwilligung oder der Widerruf der Einwilligung kann bestimmte Merkmale und Funktionen beeinträchtigen.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
