Cubs’ bullpen renewal spells disaster for Patrick Wisdom

There are various reasons why this is the case Chicago Cubs They didn’t live up to expectations last season, but one of the underperforming areas of their roster was the bullpen. Chicago’s ERA wasn’t bad, but they had 26 saves, tied for eighth-most in the majors.

Left with distressed relievers like Craig Counsell, Adbert Alzolay and Hector Neris until I can’t anymore mainly due to the lack of talent in bullfighting. Jed Hoyer for Cubs to return to postseason in 2025 will have to improve this part of the squad.

It’s safe to say Hoyer: we have made a good start in that regard, as the Cubs reportedly purchased the veterans Cleveland Guards According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, reliever Eli Morgan is in a trade. Cubs sending outfield prospect Alfonsin Rosario to Guardians in this tradeAccording to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic.

To make room for Morgan on their roster, the Cubs decided to finally part ways with Patrick Wisdom, who was designated for assignment.

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It’s hardly surprising that Erudite received the DFA. The 33-year-old had three consecutive seasons with at least 23 home runs before the 2024 season, but hit just eight home runs in 74 games last season, slashing .171/.237/.392. He could provide value thanks to his power and ability to play both corner infield positions, but given how poorly he played last season and the infield depth the Cubs have, it makes sense that the Cubs wouldn’t want to pay him what Spotrac is paying. predictions would be like this over $2.7 million in the second year of arbitration.

It’s a bit sad that Wisdom’s five-year Cubs tenure ended this way, but knowing that the player who took his place on the roster was Morgan, a highly underrated and solid reliever, can take away the sadness that comes with it.

Morgan flew under the radar last season largely because the Guardians’ entire squad was elite, but what Morgan can do cannot be ignored. The right-hander had a 1.93 ERA in 32 games and 42 innings pitched.

He doesn’t throw very hard and doesn’t strike out very much, but he has been an effective reliever for most of his four-year MLB career. What makes Morgan truly fascinating is his ability to take multiple shots when necessary. He recorded more than three outs 16 times last season, striking out as many as 2.2 innings an outing. Morgan was also used as early as the second inning and as late as the ninth inning during the regular season.

The 28-year-old player is expected to just under $1 million He’s under control in his first year of arbitration and through the 2027 campaign, according to Spotrac. Not only did the Cubs land themselves useful relief for 2025, but Morgan should also play a complementary role for years to come.

He probably won’t come close to the Cubs, but Morgan’s ability to step into almost any situation and extend it when necessary could come in handy. It doesn’t blow hitters away, but it suppresses hard contact at a high level and is still simply reliable. There’s a reason why he’s a big part of this dominant Guardians arena.

But you have to give to get, and the Cubs moved on from an intriguing prospect, Alfonsin Rosario. candidate number 21 Per MLB Pipeline. Rosario, 20, probably won’t be MLB ready for at least a few years, but he showed off an impressive combination of power and speed last season, hitting 16 home runs and stealing 20 bases. 109n games for Single-A Myrtle Beach.

He scored 147 goals in just 456 games played, which is quite problematic, but the raw potential is there. If there is one team you should be willing to bet on for a potential prospect to emerge, it should be the Guardians, who rely on all the homegrown talent in that organization.

While Rosario is intriguing, it’s hard not to like this one for the Cubs. They found an established reliever to fit in their bullpen and had to part with a prospect who was nowhere near the majors and was just one of a number of outfield prospects in their system. There’s some agreement for Cleveland, and they deserve the benefit of the doubt based on their track record, but this feels like a clear win for Jed Hoyer and the Cubs.

Commercial grade of puppies: A-
Guardians trading grade: C+