Jed Hoyer and the Cubs front office have made no secret of their desire to expand their bullpen.

On Wednesday afternoon, they took steps in that direction — and parted ways with a lengthy hiatus in the process.

The team acquired right-handed pitcher Eli Morgan from the Guardians in a trade for outfield prospect Alfonsin Rosario, the team announced. Patrick Wisdom was named for the assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Morgan.

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The 28-year-old Morgan appeared in 32 games for Cleveland in 2024 and was a regular member of baseball’s best bullpen. He had a 1.93 ERA in 42 innings with 34 strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.98. Opponents hit .194 against him in 2024. Morgan has a career 3.23 ERA in 173 innings as a relief pitcher.

Morgan relies on a three-pitch mix: a fastball that averages 90 mph, a slider that hits 89.8 mph and a changeup that averages 75.9 mph. The fastball was his best pitch in 2024, opponents hitting .176 on the four-seamer.

The former eighth-round pick is arbitration eligible this offseason, making him an expendable asset for Cleveland. That made it easy for the Cubs to jump on a reliever with a lot of upside.

If he pitches like he did in 2024, he could be a reliable piece for Craig Counsell’s bullpen in 2025. The backend of the Cubs bullpen has intriguing options, with Morgan, Porter Hodge, Luke Little and Nate Pearson all returning in 2025. .

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Wisdom, 33, was one of the leading non-tender candidates before Friday’s tender deadline. The righty posted a .629 OPS with 8 home runs in 174 at-bats in 2024. He was primarily a platoon option against lefties, but struggled in that role this season. Wisdom had hit 56 home runs between 2021 and 2023, becoming a power option for the Cubs.

However, the acquisition of Michael Busch at first base and Isaac Paredes in mid-2024 limited his opportunities and made his status more uncertain.

Rosario, 20, was the Cubs’ sixth-round pick in 2023. He showed power at the plate in 2024 at Low-A Myrtle Beach, hitting 16 home runs, 18 doubles, 4 triples and posting a .767 OPS.