Eli Morgan had a lot of fans during his time with the Cleveland Guardians.
At first, he arrived with a baby face and a nasty changeup that made him a fascinating pitcher to watch.
Then, Morgan grew out his hair and gave off a rock-star vibe on the mound.
But regardless of the version, Morgan was an intriguing pitcher for the Guardians — maybe he never fully reached his potential, but he was a guy that Cleveland trusted in a variety of roles through the years.
And now, there’s a potential path to Morgan returning to Cleveland if the sides have interest.
Eli Morgan News
Eli Morgan is now a free agent.
He was on a minor league contract in the New York Yankees‘ organization, and that expired at the end of the season.
Baseball America published an official list of the players going into free agency after the season ended via the expiration of their minor league contracts, and Morgan was on it.
BA writes: “A total of 504 players were declared minor league free agents on Nov. 2, five days after the conclusion of the 2026 World Series. These players’ minor league contract terms expired.”
It’s the same list that included former Guardians prospects like George Valera, who is also a free agent now.
Morgan is a fascinating one, because he never actually pitched in the major leagues with the Yankees.
Eli Morgan Stats
Morgan, who is now 30 years old, was an eighth-round pick by Cleveland in the 2017 MLB Draft out of Gonzaga.
He made it to the majors in Cleveland in 2021, and he pitched 161 games (19 starts) over four seasons in that uniform, posting a 3.97 ERA.
Morgan went to the Chicago Cubs for 2025 and had a 12.27 ERA in seven outings.
He began this season with the Kansas City Royals, posting a 5.12 ERA in 16 appearances.
Morgan was released by the Royals in August and signed with the Yankees.
He threw in nine games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to end the season, putting up a 4.09 ERA.
The Yankees never brought Morgan to the majors, and now he’s a free agent again, able to sign anywhere.
Would Cleveland give him a call? It’s hard to say, but he’d be a familiar face.
Guardians’ Former Fan Favorite Hits Free Agency From Yankees