Guardians cannot stand pat after dealing Eli Morgan to Chicago

The Cleveland Guardians and Chicago Cubs agreed to a deal that sent relief pitcher Eli Morgan to Chicago with outfield prospect Alfonsin Rosario coming back to Cleveland. Trading Morgan was not something that many expected, as most have been hyperfocused on what the Guardians plan to do with Josh Naylor this offseason, but there is a way for Cleveland to make the most of this unexpected transaction. That being, not standing pat and using this as an opening to bring a starting pitcher into the mix.

Yes, the need for adding at least one starting pitcher this offseason has been well-documented, and the expectation should still be that they find a way to do that. But this particular maneuver at this time creates an opening that they should take advantage of in the near future.

While trading away Morgan is not going to result in a ton of financial relief (estimated $945,000 salary in 2025 per Spotrac), that should not be the focus when it comes to potential additions this team could make. Attention should be turned to the way the Guardians are approaching their roster construction.

They decided to trade from a position of strength, which created an opening on their major league roster, and this cannot be overlooked. Cleveland's bullpen is still elite, and there could even be a way to utilize the likes of Logan Allen and/or Triston McKenzie as multi-inning relievers if they are unable to get back to being at least an average starter.

It has been said a thousand times and will probably be said a thousand more, but the Guardians need to explore any and all external options available to them that would improve their rotation. Cleveland's only consistently reliable starter is Tanner Bibee, and if they are going to return to the postseason in 2025, they will need a lot more than that. This team cannot go into the season with the assumption that Gavin Williams will take a leap performance-wise and hoping Ben Lively can outperform his talent level again. They must add legitimate, established arms into their rotation and recognize they cannot just coast off flier arms picked up off the scrap heap if they are going to be competitive again. By trading Morgan, it creates the roster flexibility to add a starter now, and it is something the Guardians must absolutely take advantage of.