Former Chicago Cubs reliever Eli Morgan is headed to the American League East. The New York Post‘s Jon Heyman reports that Morgan has agreed to a minor league deal with the New York Yankees.
Morgan, 30, pitched for the Cubs back in the 2025 season. Chicago acquired the right-hander in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for outfielder Alfonsin Rosario.
The hope was he’d handle a big role in the bullpen after a 1.93 ERA with Cleveland the past season.
But Morgan’s tenure with the Cubs proved to be a disaster. The right-hander appeared in seven games for Chicago in 2025, pitching to a 12.27 ERA in 7.1 innings. Most of his season was wiped away due to a right elbow impingement, which sidelined him for five months.
The Cubs decided to move on after the season.
What Happened to Eli Morgan After Leaving the Cubs?
GettyFormer Cubs reliever Eli Morgan pitched for the Kansas City Royals in 2026. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
The Cubs non-tendered Eli Morgan in November. He ended up signing a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals in the offseason.
Morgan didn’t make the Royals’ Opening Day roster, but found himself in their bullpen not too long after. The right-hander was selected to their 40-man roster on March 28 and has spent the year as an up-and-down reliever.
In 16 appearances in the big leagues, Morgan has a 5.12 ERA with 16 strikeouts and nine walks across 19.1 innings. The right-hander got better results with Triple-A Omaha, with a 1.40 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 25.2 innings.
However, with the Royals near the bottom of the standings, they cut ties with the sixth-year reliever on August 13. After clearing outright waivers, Morgan elected free agency. With four years of service time, the 30-year-old forfeits the remainder of his 2026 salary.
Morgan will continue his career with the Yankees. He’ll report to their Triple-A affiliate, Scranton Wilkes-Barre, where he’ll likely finish out the season and hit free agency again.
Ex-Chicago Cubs Reliever Signs with AL East Team