The New York Yankees have released right-handed pitcher Cody Morris, as reported on his MLB.com profile page. Morris was acquired from the Cleveland Guardians in a trade last December, and although he was removed from the Yankees’ 40-man roster in July, he remained within the organization until this week. Despite not being given a chance to pitch for the Yankees in 2024, Morris spent much of the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he continued to show promise with his strikeout ability.
Morris originally joined the major league ranks as a seventh-round pick by Cleveland in the 2018 MLB Draft. He made his debut for the Guardians in 2022, impressing with a 2.28 ERA over 23 2/3 innings. However, his 2023 season was derailed by injuries, including a teres major strain, and persistent control problems. He posted a 6.75 ERA in just eight innings at the big league level, and those 31 2/3 innings remain the entirety of his MLB experience.
Despite the struggles at the major league level, Morris showed flashes of potential during his time in the minors. In 2024, he logged a 4.03 ERA over 38 innings at Triple-A, along with a solid 27.1% strikeout rate. His ability to generate strikeouts has been a consistent strength throughout his career, dating back to his college days at South Carolina. However, his control has been an issue, as evidenced by a 15.3% walk rate at Triple-A this season.
The control problems have persisted at both the minor and major league levels, with Morris posting a 13% walk rate in his brief MLB appearances. This loss of command has coincided with his shift to a full-time relief role in the last two seasons, which may have exacerbated the issue. While his ability to miss bats remains intriguing, his walk rate continues to limit his effectiveness and has kept him from securing a more prominent role in the majors.
At 28 years old, Morris still has the potential to make an impact in the right environment. His strong strikeout numbers will likely attract interest from teams looking for bullpen depth, and he could land a minor league contract with a team that believes it can help him address his control issues. Morris remains a potential late-bloomer, and a team with a solid pitching coach might be willing to take a chance on him in the hopes of refining his mechanics and harnessing his raw stuff.
