Morgan has announced his retirement from baseball, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Morgan opted out of his minor-league contract with the Astros in May of 2022 and has now decided to step away from baseball. The 33-year-old spent seven seasons in the majors and posted a 4.80 ERA and 1.35 WHIP over 233 appearances (36 starts).

Morgan exercised the opt-out in his minor-league contract with the Astros and became a free agent Sunday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

Morgan missed out on the Opening Day roster and will now look for other opportunities after spending the first three weeks of the season at Triple-A Sugar Land. The left-hander allowed three earned runs and had a 10:1 K:BB over 8.2 innings, and he finished the 2021 campaign with a 4.26 ERA over 34 appearances with the Cubs.

Manager Dusty Baker said Sunday that Morgan won't be included in the Astros' Opening Day bullpen, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Expect the Astros to formally reassign Morgan to Triple-A Sugar Land within the next day or two. Morgan was attending big-league camp as a non-roster invitee after he signed a minor-league deal with the organization following a 2021 campaign with the Cubs in which he submitted a 4.26 ERA and 1.34 WHIP while collecting two saves and four holds across 25.1 innings at the MLB level.

Morgan signed a minor-league contract with the Astros on Monday that includes an invitation to big-league spring training, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Morgan spent the 2021 season as a part of the Cubs bullpen, posting a 4.26 ERA and 1.34 WHIP while securing two saves over 25.1 innings in 34 appearances. The left-hander has been strictly a reliever since 2017 and will have an opportunity to join the Astros bullpen if he performs this spring. Overall, he doesn't represent a very intriguing option considering he has posted two straight seasons with a FIP north of 5.00.

Morgan (2-1) earned the win Wednesday over Pittsburgh. He walked one and struck out one in a scoreless inning.

EDGE Analysis

The southpaw became the pitcher of record after Willson Contreras' two-run double put the Cubs ahead in the seventh inning. Morgan has been a bit shaky in September with five runs (four earned) allowed in six innings. He's posted a decent 4.26 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 28:12 K:BB in 25.1 innings overall, while adding two saves and four holds in 34 appearances.

Morgan (1-0) tossed a scoreless inning of relief and earned the win Sunday against the Brewers. He walked one.

EDGE Analysis

Chicago got only two innings from starter Keegan Thompson, then turned to Adrian Sampson and Morgan to navigate most of the game. The latter earned his first win of the season by recording a clean bottom of the seventh inning before the Cubs scored five in the top of the eighth. Morgan has been solid out of the bullpen this year, logging a 3.18 ERA across 22.2 innings with a 23:11 K:BB. He figures to stick in a middle relief role the rest of the way.

Morgan was activated off the bereavement list Friday, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

EDGE Analysis

Morgan missed the maximum seven days while on the bereavement list. He'll give the Cubs a left-handed bullpen option over the final few weeks of the season. Two of his last six outings have resulted in saves, so it's possible he adds another save or two to his tally before the end of the year, though Rowan Wick has gotten the majority of the Cubs recent save opportunities.

Morgan was placed on the bereavement list Friday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

EDGE Analysis

Players may miss between three and seven days while on the bereavement list, placing Morgan's return sometime between Monday and Friday next week. Tommy Nance was recalled to take his place in the bullpen.

Morgan secured a save while tossing a perfect ninth inning in Monday's 4-3 win over the Reds.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran collected his second save of the season after getting Tyler Naquin, Max Schrock and Joey Votto to go down in order to end the game. The 31-year-old has been very effective for the Cubs this season and since the beginning of August he has posted a 2.25 ERA and 1.00 WHIP while collecting four holds and two saves.

Morgan earned the save against the Rockies in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader with a perfect inning.

EDGE Analysis

The Cubs asked Morgan to protect a three-run lead in the final frame, and he did so with relative ease, setting down the side in order on 14 pitches. Codi Heuer -- who picked up Chicago's most recent save -- pitched in the fifth and sixth frames, suggesting that the team isn't locked into a single closer. That could bode well for Morgan, who has pitched well in his first campaign with the Cubs, posting a 2.50 ERA and 22:8 K:BB across 18 innings.