The harsh reality check has arrived for the Chicago Cubs’ front office. The acquisition of reliever Eli Morgan from the Cleveland Guardians in November 2024—once hailed as a savvy move for bullpen depth—is now widely regarded by analysts and insiders as a major miscalculation, with many declaring the Cubs “easily lost” the trade.
The criticism intensified dramatically after the Cubs officially non-tendered Morgan earlier this week, freeing him up as a free agent and effectively ending his Cubs tenure after just one disastrous, injury-plagued season.
🤕 The Miscalculated Risk
The reason for the widespread criticism centers on two brutal realities: Morgan’s health and the performance of the prospect the Cubs surrendered.
- The Zero Return: Morgan, acquired to be a stabilizing force after posting a strong 1.93 ERA in 2024 with Cleveland (Source 1.3), was a complete non-factor for the Cubs in 2025. He was limited to just seven appearances (Source 1.4), posting a painful 12.27 ERA over $\text{7 1/3}$ innings before an elbow impingement wiped out most of his season (Source 1.3). The Cubs chose not to guarantee his projected 1$ million arbitration salary for 2026, meaning they got virtually zero Major League production for their investment (Source 1.4, 2.5).
- The Prospect’s Surge: The player the Cubs sent to Cleveland, Single-A outfield prospect Alfonsin Rosario, had a phenomenal breakout year in the Guardians’ system. Rosario hit 251 with 21 home runs, 22 doubles, and 14 stolen bases across High-A and Double-A (Source 2.5). Analysts note that Rosario’s rapid development makes him a likely top-15 prospect in the Cubs’ system right now, highlighting the high cost of the one-year rental (Source 1.6, 2.5).
🗣️ The Criticism: A “Teachable Moment”
Critics are calling this a definitive misstep for the Cubs’ front office, specifically for President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer and General Manager Carter Hawkins, who had a hand in drafting Morgan while in Cleveland (Source 1.3):
“Giving [Rosario] away for a reliever who barely pitched in 2025 was a bad move. In fact, this trade was one of the worst ones the front office has made over the last couple of years. Morgan only lasted one season with the Cubs and didn’t provide the team with anything out of the bullpen.” (1Source 1.3)
The consensus is that the Cubs traded away a high-ceiling, long-term prospect for a short-term, medium-upside reliever—a gamble that failed spectacularly due to injury. In a competitive division where every move counts toward building sustainable success, this misfire has put the front office strategy under intense scrutiny.
The burning question now: how will the Cubs recover from this setback, and what moves will they make to avoid another misfire as they continue to reshape their rotation and bullpen?
