Morgan, 28, isn’t a household name but nonetheless represents a notable addition to the Chicago relief corps. The former eighth-round pick is fresh off a terrific season in Cleveland, having posted a 1.93 ERA in 42 frames out of the bullpen. Morgan was the beneficiary of a microscopic .222 average on balls in play and a bloated 85.2% strand rate, both of which serve as a portent for some ERA regression. However, he’s been a quality reliever for the past three seasons, working to a combined 3.27 ERA in 176 innings for the Guards.

Morgan did see his strikeout rate check in at a career-low 20.4% this past season, which is something of a red flag. The primary culprit has been a drop in swinging strikes against his four-seamer, though he hasn’t lost much in the way of velocity on the pitch. Morgan still racks up plenty of whiffs with his slider and changeup, and that pair of secondary offerings has helped him to keep both righties and lefties off balance in his four-year MLB career. Even with the dip in punchouts — Morgan fanned 28.1% of his opponents in 2022 and 25.1% in 2023 — he maintained strong command, issuing a walk to only 6.6% of opponents.

For the Cubs, Morgan will be a multi-year option in the ’pen — and an affordable one at that. He’s controlled for another three seasons and is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn just $1MM this coming season. His role in Chicago will determine the extent to which his price tag rises over the next few seasons — saves are compensated more in arbitration than middle relief work, for instance — but the Cubs will very likely pay fewer than $10MM for the three years of service they’re acquiring.

In addition to adding Morgan to the bullpen mix, the Cubs are bidding farewell to the slugging Wisdom, who’s tagged 84 home runs in a Cubs uniform over the past four seasons. The 33-year-old has been a consistent source of power and been a frequent thorn in the side of left-handed pitching, but Wisdom’s limited skill set has long been evident and proved particularly restrictive in 2024, when he hit just .171/.237/.392 in 174 plate appearances.

Strikeouts have been an issue for Wisdom throughout his career, but at least from 2021-23, he was productive enough against lefties and affordable enough that the Cubs were willing to overlook his flaws. He’s fanned in a whopping 36.5% of his trips to the plate dating back to 2021 and has reached base at only a .290 clip — all while playing sub-par defense at third base (with occasional work at first base and very fleeting looks at second and in the outfield corners). From 2021-23, Wisdom hit .231/.312/.517 against lefties and at least hit for power against righties, even though his .206 average and .291 OBP were eyesores. He didn’t produce against pitchers of either handedness in 2024.

Swartz had projected Wisdom for a $3MM salary this coming season — perhaps a reasonable price tag for a defensively limited corner bat who can torment lefties to the extent he did in ’21-’23. But the Cubs’ veteran-laden roster — which includes no-trade clauses for Ian Happ, Dansby Swanson and Seiya Suzuki — offers minimal paths to reshaping an offense that simply hasn’t gotten the job done in recent seasons. Subtracting Wisdom both frees up a bit of cash and subtracts a narrow skill set from the roster. That spot on the bench can now be allocated to a new acquisition, presumably one with a more well-rounded skill set.

The Cubs can trade Wisdom for the next week or place him on waivers within the next five days. Friday’s looming non-tender deadline also affords the Cubs the opportunity to simply non-tender the now-DFA’ed Wisdom, which would allow him to immediately become a free agent without needing to first pass through waivers (the only time of year teams are allowed to do so). They could use that as a mechanism to try to quickly re-sign Wisdom on a minor league deal, though he’d likely want to canvas the rest of the league to see if his power potential could land him a 40-man spot elsewhere.

Cleveland had the most dominant bullpen in MLB this past season, so the Guardians surely feel they’re dealing from a position of strength. Morgan’s salary is hardly prohibitive, but even in spite of his success, the rest of the Cleveland was so dominant that Morgan rarely found himself working in leverage spots. Emmanuel Clase, Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis and Tim Herrin all joined Morgan as relievers with 40-plus innings and sub-2.00 ERAs (sub-1.00, in Clase’s case).

The Cubs, meanwhile, dealt with bullpen issues throughout the 2024 season and ultimately wound up releasing last winter’s big relief acquisition, Hector Neris. Midseason pickup Jorge Lopez became a free agent at season’s end. As it stands, their late-inning mix is still full of relatively inexperienced arms, headlined by Porter Hodge, Tyson Miller, Keegan Thompson, Nate Pearson and Luke Little. Morgan will add some stability to that mix, but Chicago still seems likely to pursue further additions in the months ahead.

Rosario, 21 in June, was a sixth-round pick in 2023. He played 109 Single-A games in 2024, striking out 32.2% of the time but also drawing walks at a strong 12.3% clip. He hit 16 home runs and slashed .230/.344/.423 for a wRC+ of 127. He also stole 16 bases while playing both center and right field. Baseball America currently lists him as the Cubs’ #27 prospect.

Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported on Morgan going to the Cubs (X link). Jesse Rogers of ESPN mentioned Wisdom’s DFA (X link). Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic first mentioned that an A-ball prospect would be going to the Guardians (X link).

Gillispie, 26, was a ninth-round pick by the Orioles back in 2019. He reached Double-A in Baltimore before being selected by the Guardians in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft this past winter. He’s swung between the rotation and bullpen for Cleveland at the Triple-A level since then, and he’s done so with decent numbers. In 89 2/3 innings of work across 20 appearances (11 starts), Gillispie sports a 4.01 ERA with somewhat concerning peripherals. The righty’s decent 23.3% strikeout rate is paired with an elevated 10.5% walk rate and a shocking number of home runs. As a fly ball pitcher who has seen 17% of his balls in the fly balls leave the yard for homers, Gillispie has surrendered a whopping 19 homers so far this season.

It’s not yet clear what role Gillispie will fill with the Guardians now that he’s on the big league roster, though it’s perhaps worth noting that the club has not yet announced a starting pitcher for tomorrow’s game against the Diamondbacks. Gillispie last pitched on July 26, meaning he’s had more than a week of rest since his last outing and should be able to provide length for Cleveland whether he winds up pitching out of the bullpen or the rotation, although the Guardians are surely hoping he can get his issues with the long ball under control in the majors.

Cleveland’s rotation currently features just four arms (Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, Ben Lively, and Carlos Carrasco) but the move to option Curry also leaves room for a fresh long relief arm in the bullpen. Veteran right-hander Alex Cobb figures to join the rotation picture at some point in the near future for the club after being acquired from the Giants at the trade deadline, but he made what should be his final rehab starts in the minor leagues last night and won’t be available for a few more days.

Also joining the club’s active roster is Morgan, who has pitched to excellent results when in the majors despite middling peripherals. The right-hander sports a sparkling 1.98 ERA and 2.80 FIP in 13 2/3 innings of work at the big league level this year but has gotten by despite a paltry 17.9% walk rate thanks to an elevated 75% strand rate and zero home runs allowed in the majors so far this season. His numbers at Triple-A have been solid as well, however, as he’s posted a 2.70 ERA with a more palatable 22.9% strikeout rate in 16 2/3 innings of work in the minors. Prior to this year, Morgan has been a valuable reliever for the Guardians since converting to the bullpen full time with a 3.69 ERA and 3.73 FIP in 134 innings over the past two years.

Making room for Morgan and Gillispie on the 40-man roster are Cantillo and Curry, both of whom are headed to Triple-A for the time being. Cantillo, 24, looked good in eight appearances (seven starts) at the highest level of the minors this year before being promoted to the majors last week, but he’s struggled to a 7.36 ERA across two starts in his first taste of big league action. He’ll take that experience back to the minors and prepare for his next opportunity to establish himself properly as a major leaguer. As for Curry, the 26-year-old impressed last year with a 4.07 ERA in 95 innings as a multi-inning reliever and swing man for the Guardians but has struggled in a similar role this year with a 5.84 ERA and 5.20 FIP in seven appearances, including four starts. He’ll head to Triple-A to act as a versatile depth option for the time being, though it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get another shot to re-establish himself later this year.

Debuting in the majors as a starter in 2021, Morgan has found a lot more success since moving to the bullpen, posting a 3.54 ERA in 145 innings for the Guardians from 2022-24.  That includes a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings this year, though that impressive number is heavily tempered by a 5.47 SIERA, as Morgan’s secondary metrics include an 11.1% walk rate and a 15.6% strikeout rate.  That K% is well below his 26.5% mark from 2022-23, though Morgan might be able to more fully get on track now that he has recovered from a month-long bout of elbow inflammation.

Cleveland acquired Kent from the Rangers this past March, in a trade that sent some extra international bonus pool money to Texas.  Kent had spent his entire career in the Rangers’ system since being a ninth-round pick in the 2019 draft, but his time with Triple-A Columbus has consisted of just three appearances.  Kent hasn’t pitched since April 14 due to a right elbow strain, so today’s transaction is likely a way for the Guards to move Kent off their 40-man roster and potentially move him to the big league 60-day IL.

This would give Kent the first MLB service time of his career, as he has yet to make his proper on-field big league debut.  The righty has some solid minor league numbers (including a 2.73 ERA over 66 career Triple-A frames), but he has been hampered by injuries in each of the last three seasons.

Schneemann, 27, was selected by Cleveland in the 33rd round of the 2018 draft and has been slowly climbing the minor league level ever since. After getting his first taste of Triple-A action in late 2022, Schneemann posted solid numbers for Columbus last year and has gotten off to a incredible start in his second season starting the the highest level of the minors with a .294/.428/.556 slash line in 223 trips to the plate so far this season. To this point in his career, Schneemann has primarily played shortstop and third base but has also seen at least occasional time at second base, first base, and all three infield spots.

Going forward, Schneemann figures to provide a versatile option off the bench for the Guardians who could help contribute offensively all around the diamond. Cleveland’s offense has been a surprising success story this season, although Brayan Rocchio’s work at shortstop, where he’s slashed just .200/.308/.258 in 50 games this year, has left something to be desired. It’s also possible Schneemann could serve as a right-handed complement to the club’s outfield mix alongside Gabriel Arias as the Guardians run out lefties Steven Kwan and Will Brennan in the outfield corners. Brennan, in particular, has slashed just .200/.200/.350 in limited opportunities against southpaws this year.

Making room for Schneemann on the active roster is Rodriguez, a rookie who made his big league debut last month. He’s appeared in just eight games for the Guardians since being promoted to the majors, and went 3-for-23 with five walks and nine strikeouts during his brief cup of coffee in the majors. The youngster figures to return to the Triple-A level, where he’s slashed a much more impressive .276/.389/.449 this year, to wait for his next opportunity.

Also departing the club’s roster is Morgan, who has been placed on the shelf due to right elbow inflammation. It’s a concerning diagnosis for the 28-year-old, particularly given the fact that he’s in the midst of what has been the best start to a season he’s had in his career to this point. Since transitioning to the bullpen full-time in 2022, Morgan had posted a solid pair of seasons in middle relief for the Guardians with a combined 3.69 ERA (108 ERA+) and 3.73 FIP in 134 innings of work. In ten appearances this season, however, Morgan has pitched to a dazzling 1.64 ERA with a 3.24 FIP. Those excellent numbers belie some concerning peripherals, however, as Morgan has struck out just 15.6% of batters faced while walking an elevated 11.1%. That’s a far cry from his numbers the past two years, when he struck out a combined 26.5% of opponents while walking 6.7%.

Replacing Morgan on the club’s active roster is Carrasco. The veteran righty has been on the shelf since mid-May due to an acute neck spasm, but now returns to Cleveland after only a minimum stay on the injured list. The 37-year-old righty returned to the club on a minor league deal this offseason after three seasons in New York and managed to earn a spot on the club’s Opening Day roster in Spring Training as their fifth starter. The righty has struggled through nine starts with the club this year, pitching to a 5.16 ERA and 5.33 FIP in 45 1/3 innings, but nonetheless figures to slot back into the club’s rotation mix alongside Logan Allen, Tanner Bibee, Triston McKenzie, and Ben Lively.

Today’s news could mark the end of Bauers’ star-crossed tenure in Cleveland.  A top-100 prospect during his time in the Rays’ farm system, Bauers came to the Tribe as part of a major three-team swap involving the Rays and Mariners in December 2018.  The deal brought Carlos Santana back to Cleveland as veteran reinforcement for the Indians’ lineup, and Bauers was supposed to be a young building block, though he hasn’t delivered on that promise.

Over 160 games and 536 plate appearances with the Tribe, Bauers has hit only .218/.305/.352 with 14 home runs, delivering below replacement-level (-0.8 fWAR) production.  This playing time came during the 2019 and 2021 seasons, as Bauers was at Cleveland’s alternate training site in 2020 but never received a call-up to the big league club.  Bauers is out of options, so it’s possible another team might make a waiver claim on a player who is still only 25 and not that far removed from his prospect heyday.

With Bauers struggling so mightily, Tribe fans have spent pretty much all season wondering why Bradley wasn’t being given a shot on the MLB roster.  Bradley had a big Spring Training but has not hit overly well (aside from the power department) at Triple-A this season, with a .196/.266/.485 slash line and nine homers in 109 PA.

Bradley doesn’t bring much versatility as a first base-only player, but with the Indians in desperate need of some extra offense, the decision was finally made to part ways with Bauers and give Bradley another opportunity in the Show.  Bradley received some top-100 prospect attention himself prior to the 2016-17 seasons, and he has hit .251/.339/.503 with 156 homers in 2865 minor league plate appearances since being selected in the third round of the 2014 draft.  Bradley’s only MLB exposure came in 2019, when he posted a .600 OPS over 49 PA.

Parker signed a minor league deal with the Indians in the offseason, and with just one official appearance, Parker will make it seven different teams over parts of nine MLB seasons.  The right-hander (who turns 36 on June 19) most recently pitched for the Phillies in 2020, recording a 2.81 ERA and a huge 36.2% strikeout rate over 16 innings, albeit with an also-hefty 13% walk rate.  Parker has maintained a solid 27.7% strikeout rate over his career, though home runs have been a persistent issue for the veteran.

Jones, Arias and Vargas are generally regarded as among Cleveland’s top thirty prospects. Jones, in particular, is one of the top minor-leaguers in the sport. The 22-year-old third baseman has put up monster numbers throughout his time on the farm and looks like a near-term option for the Indians. José Ramírez has third base locked down in Cleveland, of course, so there’s been some speculation about Jones logging time in the corner outfield, where the MLB roster is quite a bit thinner.