This morning the Cubs announced that they would be sending pitchers Jordan Wicks and Eli Morgan down to Triple-A Iowa as they return to the United States from their Tokjyp series against the Dodgers. Eli Morgan is the more controversial decision as he was a notable offseason addition and had a good first game as a Chicago Cub.
The Cubs sending players down to the minors is no surprise as they need to trim the bloated 31-man Tokyo roster back down to 26. But the inclusion of Eli Morgan in those demotions is a bit perplexing.
Morgan is coming off a career year
Eli Morgan was acquired in a trade with the Guardians for prospect Alfonsin Rosario back in November. Morgan was coming off a career year for the Guardians in which he tossed 42 innings of 1.93 ERA ball with a 212 ERA+. While his season was limited, he was dominant in both the regular season and the playoffs. In six playoff games with the Guardoans last season, Morgan allowed just one run in four innings of work.
The Cubs seemed to bolster their questionable bullpen with the addition of the twenty-eight-year-old veteran this offseason.
Early returns have been good in Chicago. In the team’s first game of the season, Morgan tossed 1.1 innings and allowed zero runs against the Dodgers. In Tokyo, Morgan looked sharp and in control, generating three whiffs on eleven swings from the Dodgers. Additionally, his 80.5 MPH average exit velo was an indicator that the Dodgers were unable to square up many of his pitches.
This tracks well with his low hard-hit rates from last season. Although he didn’t meet the thresholds to qualify, Morgans’s hard-hit rate was a measly 28.1% in ‘24. Additionally, his 2.5% barrel rate, 85.2 Average exit velocity, and his 36.3% chase rate all stick out as elite.
Why would the Cubs demote him?
One reason for the Cub’s decision to option Eli Morgan may be the one remaining minor league option in his contract. Morgan is under contract with the Cubs through the 2027 season and perhaps they are getting his option down to the minors out of the way now. This could help to gain some clarity on some of the younger pitchers in the bullpen.
The Cubs currently have young arms such as Porter Hodge, Nate Pearson, and Ben Brown who may need to figure out their permanent roles in the bullpen. Perhaps the demotion of Morgan is a way to encourage competition among the Cub’s young arms as they fight for a spot on the roster later in the season.
Understandably, managers often have to make questionable roster decisions for the betterment of roster longevity. But this one is a bit of a head-scratcher from Craig Counsell.
At the time of writing this article, the Cubs have also demoted pitcher Jordan Wicks to Triple-A Iowa. This move is much less surprising as Wicks struggled with both injuries and production last season. He will likely stay down until he can prove he can stay healthy and produce like he did in 2023.
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