The New York Yankees agreed to a minor league deal with former Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals pitcher Eli Morgan, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman.
Morgan was designated for assignment by the Royals on Aug. 13. He cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Omaha. He elected free agency. Morgan has been up and down from the big leagues this year.
He had a 5.12 ERA for the Royals, but was pitching well in Triple-A. In 22 minor league games, he had a 1.40 ERA and three saves. He has pitched in 184 big-league games and has a 4.25 career ERA. He does not rack up a ton of strikeouts, but is an interesting pickup for the Yankees.
The Yankees’ bullpen has a 3.00 ERA, the second-best in baseball. Morgan is more of a depth addition and may not actually get a chance to contribute in the big leagues. The team already has a loaded bullpen.
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Morgan has a 33.7% chase rate this year, despite below-average velocity. His four-seam fastball sits at 91.2 mph. He is throwing his fastball more often this season, and his changeup usage has decreased.
Morgan spent the first five years of his career with Cleveland, posting a 3.92 ERA in 161 games. He thrived in the postseason, posting a 2.45 ERA in 7 1/3 innings, spanning nine games. The Yankees are taking a flier on him, and likely the only way he pitches in the big leagues for them this year is if some of their arms go down with injuries.
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