The Royals announced they have signed 29-year-old right-hander Eli Morgan to a minor league deal. Morgan was excellent in 2024, posting a 1.93 ERA in 32 games with Cleveland in 2024, but appeared in just seven games with the Cubs due to an elbow injury.
Morgan was originally an eighth-round pick by Cleveland out of Gonzaga in 2017. He debuted in 2021, making 18 starts with a 5.34 ERA, but was moved to the bullpen the next season. He found success as a reliever, posting a 3.38 ERA with 72 strikeouts and just 13 walks in 66.2 innings with the Guardians in 2022. He posted his best strikeout season in 2022 with 75 strikeouts, 10.0 per-nine-innings. He was limited to just 42 innings in 2024 due to elbow inflammation, yet posted a career-best 1.1 rWAR.
The elbow inflammation carried over the next season, and after a rough start, he was placed on the Injured List in April. It was diagnosed as an inflamed ulnar nerve in his right elbow, and he suffered a setback in rehab. He was due to return in September, but the Cubs optioned him to the minors instead, where he finished the season. The Cubs elected to non-tender him after the season, rather than pay him around $1 million.
Morgan mixes a 92 mph four-seamer with a slider and changeup. Last year in his limited action, he increased his change-up usage to 41 percent.
The Royals have been building up their bullpen depth in the last week, adding veterans Héctor Neris and Aaron Sanchez on minor league deals. The cost to take a gamble on these players is next to nothing and at the very least they have some arms to pitch in spring training games and potentially at Omaha. And who knows, there’s a chance they have something left in the tank and can contribute to the big league team.
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