Latest Cubs non-tender gives Guardians opportunity to reunite with bullpen ace

For three seasons, Eli Morgan was a staple in the middle of the Guardians’ bullpen. 

After opening his career as a starter (who can forget when he made his MLB debut in the middle of a hurricane), the Guardians moved Morgan to the bullpen in 2022, where he rose up Terry Francona’s trust tree to become a key high-leverage arm. 

But his time in Cleveland came to an anticlimactic end last offseason when the Guardians traded him to the Cubs in exchange for minor league outfielder Alfonsin Rosario.

That trade has become a clear win for the Guardians, as Rosario spent the 2025 season rising up Cleveland’s prospect ranks while Morgan posted a 12.27 ERA in 7 1/3 innings with the Cubs. 

It became even more of a win on Friday when the Cubs announced they weren’t tendering a contract to Morgan ahead of the non-tender deadline, meaning that he’s to free agency after that one disappointing season. 

While Morgan’s 2025 results will likely give MLB front offices pause, he should be at the top of the Guardians’ wish list thanks to the success he had during his stint in Cleveland’s bullpen. 

Eli Morgan would be a great reclamation project for the Guardians 

The obvious red flag for Morgan is that he’s coming off a rough season where he was limited to just seven games due to a right elbow injury and didn’t appear in a game after April 14.

Morgan posted a 1.93 ERA in 42 innings with the Guardians in 2024 despite working through what was a bit of a weird season. While that ERA stands as his career-high, he spent part of the year with Triple-A Columbus and also had two separate stints on the injured list due to right shoulder and elbow inflammation.  

Those arm injuries were likely part of the reason why the Guardians elected to trade Morgan, and it’s not like they went away during his one season with the Cubs, but now the Guardians would be able to reunite with him on a minor league contract, which would be a win-win for both sides.

Morgan would be able to rehab and get back to full health with an organization that he’s familiar with while the Guardians would be able to (hopefully) reap the benefits of having a healthy version of Morgan. He also has one minor league option remaining, which gives him some additional flexibility. 

He also won’t break the bank either, as MLB Trade Rumors’ Matt Swartz projected Morgan's 2026 salary to be just $1.1 million through arbitration. 

While Morgan doesn’t blow hitters away with his fastball, his cartoonish changeup (.188 batting average against in 2024) and strong command made him a valuable middle-leverage weapon during his stint with the Guardians. 

Now the Guardians have a chance to bring him back into that picture through free agency.