Christopher Morel Was Once The Hope Cubs Fans Needed But Isaac Paredes Is The Reality They Need Today

[Brian Kelder]

Once upon a time, Christopher Morel brought Cubs fans much-needed optimism but now it's time to move forward with a legitimate third baseman.

Image courtesy of © Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

On May 18, 2022, the Cubs were in a dark place, sending their fans into a vortex of doom and gloom. They had sold off or let go of beloved fan favorites and entered into a rebuild that was not called a rebuild. With a 15-21 record, the promise of a deal that never happened of Willson Contreras and Ian Happ, and guys like Alfonso Rivas and Jonathan Villar in the lineup, it was a tough sell for anyone but the die hardiest of the die-hard to tune into this team.

Enter Christopher Morel. Mildly hyped as a guy with loud tools and no real sense of how to use them, Morel's debut went well. Most fans will remember his first at-bat, the home run, and the hugs that ensued. Other fun moments, like the “breathe” thing with Willson, were had.

Morel started strong but faded in that rookie year, batting under .200 for the final two months. Streakiness became a hallmark of Morel's time in Chicago, but this is not the time for criticism.

In a time when the Cubs knew they would not compete, Morel was the perfect type of prospect to call up. He had what scouts call “loud tools.” When he made contact, the ball looked like it was hit by the Sammy Sosa cork special. The arm is an absolute cannon. Watching highlights of a Morel play is always a pleasure.

Along with the physical flashes comes an even better backstory. Starting with his injury at a young age that almost cost him his career would make even the biggest cynic root for him. He’s a strong man of faith. The smile has been known to power Wrigley during the recent power outages that have struck Chicago. The hugs are annoying, but if you are wrong-minded and a hugger, that’s fine, too.

But he ultimately was a distraction, a hope to keep fan interest during a time when fan interest would typically wane. The long home runs, the laser darts from third, and the personality all kept hope alive. The internet threw out comparisons to Cub favorite Kyle Schwarber as reasons to hold on to Morel. Rick Sutcliffe even compared him to David Ortiz this weekend. On Sunday, the Cubs front office made their thoughts clear.

Isaac Paredes represents a real plan at third base. He will bring his 25-year-old thunder to the lineup for three seasons after this one; clearly, Jed Hoyer values his certainty even if he doesn’t project to be the mythical star that Cub Nation clamors for.

The real hope is that the Cubs will start building for 2025 with solid solutions here. They have a third baseman, not a hypothetical one who has good xStats, not a prospect who, for some reason, hasn’t been promoted to Iowa, or their recent first-round pick, Cam Smith. We can count on Paredes patrolling the infield for the next three years, and that’s a good thing.

Christopher Morel served his purpose well, imbuing optimists with the hopium their veins so often crave. But, as Louis Riddick said about Justin Fields, “Flashes get you fired.” And if Jed is fired, how will he afford to drive the next Suburban? Morel, unfortunately, never had the substance to go with the flash.

Cub fans should be excited about this trade, both for the return and for what it means for the team going forward.

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[CubinNY]

Hopefully, he's this generation's Aramas.