The New York Yankees entered the season with enough starting pitching to envision using their depth to strengthen the bullpen. Injuries, however, have made that plan considerably more difficult to execute.
“In a perfect world, the Yankees’ surplus of starting pitching would have benefited their bullpen by now,” Gary Phillips wrote for the New York Daily News. “The Yankees’ strategy took another hit on Monday when Max Fried went on the 15-day injured list with a bone bruise in his left elbow for the second time this season.”
Fried’s latest injury update came just as Carlos Rodon returned to the rotation from elbow inflammation. Rodon’s return was initially expected to push another member of the rotation, like Ryan Weathers, into a bullpen role.
But now, with Fried sidelined and every standing member of the rotation holding onto their roles, the Yankees have acquired a new relief arm for the organization.
New York Yankees Add Six-Year MLB Veteran With Max Fried Sidelined
On Friday, news broke that the Yankees had acquired veteran pitcher Eli Morgan, shortly after he cut ties with the Kansas City Royals.
“Eli Morgan to Yankees,” the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported on X.
Initially, the deal appears to be a minor-league pact, but Morgan has plenty of big-league experience and could be called upon to join the Yankees’ relief corps depending on the health of some other arms.
Morgan, 30, brings six years of major league experience to an organization that could use another option capable of working out of the bullpen. He sought a new deal after the Royals pushed him out of the majors.
“Morgan cleared waivers after the Royals designated him for assignment Thursday, and rather than sticking around in the organization and reporting to Triple-A Omaha, he’ll assess his options on the open market,” RotoWire reported.
Before losing his place on Kansas City’s 40-man roster, Morgan made 16 appearances out of the major league bullpen. He posted a 5.12 ERA and 1.71 WHIP across 19.1 innings, numbers that explain why the Royals were willing to move on but do not erase the value of his previous major league experience.
Morgan first reached the majors with the Cleveland Guardians in 2021 and spent several seasons developing into a versatile bullpen piece. That experience could make him an intriguing depth option for a Yankees organization that increasingly needs alternatives as injuries alter the pitching plan.
New York Yankees’ Max Fried Injury Creates New Pitching Need
The Yankees’ immediate concern remains how to cover the innings created by Fried’s absence.
Fried has established himself as one of the most important pieces of New York’s rotation since joining the Yankees, making any extended absence significant. His second stint on the injured list with a bone bruise in his left elbow also comes at an especially inconvenient time because the Yankees had hoped Rodon’s return would give them additional flexibility.
Instead, New York now has another hole to account for.
Morgan is unlikely to be viewed as a direct replacement for Fried, particularly on a minor-league contract. His value is more straightforward: He gives the Yankees another experienced arm who can potentially work his way back into the major league picture if the bullpen or pitching staff needs reinforcements.