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Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff WriterNov 20, 2024, 02:04 PM ET
- Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.
CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs acquired reliever Eli Morgan from the Cleveland Guardians in a trade Wednesday, sources told ESPN.
The Cubs, who also designated infielder Patrick Wisdom for assignment, sent a minor league prospect to Cleveland in the deal.
Morgan, 28, is coming off an injury-plagued 2024 season where he appeared in 32 games, compiling a 1.93 ERA over 42 innings. The veteran right-hander has spent his four-year career with the Guardians after being drafted in the eighth round in 2017. He has a career record of 18-12 with a 3.97 ERA in 161 games, including 19 starts when he first came up to the big leagues.
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Morgan spent time on the injured list in 2024 with both elbow and shoulder problems, returning for the final two months of the season.
Morgan offers a three-pitch mix that includes a fastball, slider and changeup. Opposing batters hit just .176 off his four-seam fastball last season. He’ll be a welcome addition to a Cubs bullpen that struggled at times last season and projects as a middle man who could also earn some save opportunities.
Wisdom, 33, batted just .171 last year with eight home runs while appearing in 75 games. He spent the last five years with Chicago, compiling more than 20 home runs in three consecutive seasons from 2021-2023.
Wisdom’s playing time diminished as the team broke in third baseman Christopher Morel before he was traded for another third baseman, Isaac Paredes from the Tampa Bay Rays.
