Royals Sign Eli Morgan to Minor League Deal for 2026

This article takes a look at why the Kansas City Royals signed veteran reliever Eli Morgan to a minor-league contract. It digs into what Morgan offers, how injuries have stalled his career, and where he might fit in a packed bullpen as spring training approaches.

Royals Take a Low-Risk Look at Eli Morgan

The Kansas City Royals keep adding arms to their pitching staff. This time, they picked up Eli Morgan on a minor-league deal with a non-roster invite to big league spring training.

It feels like a low-risk, maybe-useful move for a club searching for stability and some healthy competition in the middle innings. Morgan, represented by CAA, got non-tendered by the Chicago Cubs in November after a frustrating, injury-heavy 2025 season.

His recent numbers don’t jump off the page, but the Royals hope Morgan can get healthy and find the form that once made him a steady bullpen arm in the AL Central.

A Familiar Arm in the Division

Morgan did most of his major league work with Cleveland. He started out as a starter but eventually moved into a relief role, where he seemed to settle in as a solid middle reliever.

Between 2022 and 2024, Morgan threw 176 innings with a 3.27 ERA and struck out more than a quarter of the batters he faced. That run was the best stretch of his career, as he kept runs off the board and gave Cleveland valuable innings behind the rotation.

Performance vs. Projection

On paper, Morgan’s 2024 stats looked sharp. He made 32 appearances, held opponents to .224/.279/.384, and kept his ERA under 2.00.

But those results came with some question marks. Morgan never really fit the power reliever mold, with a fastball that sits around 92 mph—nowhere near the velocity teams crave for late-inning guys.

A Changeup-and-Command Specialist

He leans on command and a solid changeup to mess with hitters’ timing. When he’s right, he gets weak contact rather than lighting up the radar gun.

Still, there were issues. His strikeout rate kept dropping, from 28.1% down to 20.4% over his last three seasons in Cleveland. The underlying metrics didn’t scream dominance, and teams started to wonder how much room for error he really had.

Injuries and a Rough Stop in Chicago

Cleveland traded Morgan to the Cubs for A-ball outfielder Alfonsin Rosario, but neither side got much out of that deal. Morgan had a tough time in Chicago, giving up 10 runs on 12 hits in just 7 1/3 innings.

Health definitely factored in.

Elbow Issues Derail Momentum

Elbow inflammation kept Morgan out for a big chunk of 2024, and the Cubs sent him to Triple-A for about a month. After his last MLB game on April 14, an elbow impingement limited him to 12 minor-league outings, most just rehab work.

The Cubs decided not to tender him a contract, so Morgan started looking for a new opportunity—and, hopefully, a clean bill of health.

Where He Fits with the Royals

Now in Kansas City, Morgan joins other veteran non-roster signings like Héctor Neris and Aaron Sanchez. The Royals seem to be betting on experience as they figure out their bullpen mix.

He’ll be competing with arms like:

Depth, Flexibility, and Opportunity

Morgan brings real roster flexibility. He still has a minor-league option, so the Royals can move him between Kansas City and Triple-A Omaha whenever they want.

If he stays healthy, Morgan doesn’t have to dominate to help out. For the Royals, he’s innings, experience, and a bit of competition—just what a young bullpen could use with a long season ahead.

 
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