Cubs Acquire Eli Morgan From Guardians For Alfonsin Rosario

Image credit: Eli Morgan (Mike Janes/Four Seam Images)

The Cubs added a reliable, playoff-tested arm to their bullpen Wednesday when they acquired Eli Morgan from the Guardians.

The Cubs ranked in the bottom third of the league in reliever WAR. Morgan provides the Cubs some length in middle relief, as he’s capable of getting four-to-six outs per appearance. In exchange, the Guardians get an exciting, high-upside prospect in the toolsy Rosario. The Guardians also clear a spot on their 40 man roster with the move. 

Cubs Receive

Eli Morgan, RHP
Age: 28 

Initially a member of the Guardians’ bullpen in 2021, Morgan was developed as a starter and made 18 starts. Cleveland later identified his ability to get outs as a reliever, and the team moved him to the bullpen in 2022. Over the last three seasons, Morgan has thrown 176 innings with 18 holds, a 3.27 ERA and an 18.4% strikeout-to-walk rate. Morgan mixes a low-90s four-seam fastball with a plus changeup and mid-to-high-80s slider. 

Guardians Receive

Alfonsin Rosario, OF
Age: 20

The Cubs drafted Rosario out of P27 Academy in Lexington, S.C., but he’s a native of the Dominican Republic. Rosario made his full-season debut in 2024 with Low-A Myrtle Beach, hitting .230/.344/.423 with 16 home runs and 20 stolen bases over 109 games. He saw a majority of time in center field this season, though he’s below-average there and is likely to move to an outfield corner. Rosario is a three-true-outcomes-style hitter, with plus raw power and outlier contact quality but well below-average bat-to-ball skills. With a profile driven by impact and plus bat speed, his swing decisions were solid in his first full professional season, but he’ll need to improve his plate skills to develop into an everyday player.