The Cleveland Guardians rallied to two thrilling victories Friday in a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers, with each game ending in a walk-off.
While they’re set to play Detroit once again Saturday, the team made a quiet organizational move involving its farm system that showed up this weekend on the MiLB transaction page.
Guardians Release 19-Year-Old Prospect
The Guardians have released 19-year-old outfielder Estivel Morillo from the organization.
“Cleveland Guardians have released OF Estivel Morillo. Morillo spent his 2026 season playing in the Arizona Complex League,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
Cleveland #Guardians have released OF Estivel Morillo. Morillo spent his 2026 season playing in the Arizona Complex League.
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) September 5, 2026
He was with the team’s Rookie Affiliate, the ACL Guardians, and signed back in 2024 out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, for a signing bonus of $435,000 as part of that year’s international free agent class.
Morillo’s Pro Career
In 2026, Morillo appeared in 51 games in the Arizona Complex League and logged 143 at-bats. He recorded 31 runs, 32 hits, zero home runs, 17 RBIs and 23 stolen bases while batting .224 prior to his release, with a .354 OBP, .287 slugging percentage and .641 OPS.
Across his entire minor league career, he totaled 354 at-bats and recorded 66 runs, 76 hits, 33 RBIs and 38 stolen bases.
He’s yet to hit his first professional home run, but he brings a strong presence on the basepaths and defensively in the outfield, with plenty of upside remaining at just 19 years old.
Looking at the Guardians
While Morillo’s release doesn’t currently affect the Guardians’ 2026 season, Cleveland is in the middle of a tight playoff race in the American League and currently clings to the final Wild Card spot.
Entering Saturday, they hold a 72-70 overall record, which has them just 2.5 games out of the AL Central division lead.
Cleveland Guardians Quietly Release 19-Year-Old Prospect During Tigers Series