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The team set out into the winter needing clarity in a few spots. Perhaps most notably, they needed it on the infield corners. They especially needed clarity – if not a true upgrade – at third base. And while we may have an idea of how the Cubs want things to pan out at the hot corner, that lack of clarity continues to loom as the Arizona weather begins to heat up.
The Starter: Christopher Morel (?)
2023 Stats: .247/.313/.508, 31.0 K%, 8.4 BB%, .260 ISO, 119 wRC+, 1.4 fWAR
2024 Projections (ZiPS): .242/.309/.465, 30.8 K%, 8.2 BB%, .224 ISO, 108 wRC+, 1.3 fWAR
Scouting Report: Given that this is the first legitimate opportunity seemingly given to Morel at this level, it seems appropriate to assume Morel will be get the nod at third when the season opens up at the end of March. The clear interest from the brass feeds directly into the assumption. Morel’s offensive profile would play best among the options. He hits just enough and has the desired power for a corner spot. His success there would allow the club more flexibility at the designated hitter spot and elsewhere in the field, while also establishing a permanent defensive home for one of their best young hitters.
The question will obviously be the defense. Morel has the athleticism and the arm to handle the spot. It’s a matter of the glove and instincts translating in such a way as to entrench him at the corner. There’s a likely scenario whereby Morel gets the majority of the time, but also mixes in semi-regularly at DH. This would ease his transition and open up some of the flexibility recently discussed. Given the upper-tier defense the Cubs have elsewhere in the field, though, Morel doesn’t have to be outstanding to hold onto it. He merely has to be average.
With the physical tools, the infrastructure around him, and the clear intention in the opportunity from team leadership, it’s easy to imagine Cubs Third Baseman Christopher Morel as the established thing by the end of ’24.
Other Options: Even if Morel does ultimately take the job wholesale, we’re likely to see a mix of Nick Madrigal, Patrick Wisdom, and Michael Busch on his DH days. It stands to reason that Matt Shaw will find his way into the big league mix before season’s end as well.
Madrigal represents the most stable of the options, purely from the perspective of skill set. He provided above-average defense there, a happy development that no one expected. Any sort of timeshare that involves a late-game defensive sub could result in Madrigal getting run in those situations. His bat – predicated entirely around regular contact – doesn’t carry the profile for regular starts, but he’s not a total zero. He can give you something at the plate. The concern there is health. Madrigal’s 92 games in 2023 were the most in his Major League career to date, but he also hit the Injured List on multiple occasions.
Wisdom gives you something of the offensive profile you’re looking for there, as does Busch. In Wisdom’s case, the defense isn’t suitable to fill in beyond very short stretches, and he strikes out far too much at the plate. Garrett Cooper’s addition as a non-roster invite does lead one to ponder how long Wisdom may be around for the corner-thumper-off-the-bench role. As for Busch, he’s penciled in as the everyday first baseman at present. We may see him at third throughout the year, especially in instances against right-handed pitching where Cody Bellinger suits up at first. Matt Mervis forcing his way into the picture – however unlikely – could also flip Busch to the other side of the diamond.
Shaw as a third base option would probably require a lot of things to go wrong early in the season. The Cubs are moving him around, as his bat should play from anywhere. If Morel struggles massively (on either side of the ball) or injuries force movement after he’s been given some extra time to cook in Tennessee/Iowa, we could see Shaw pop into the picture. For now, though, he’s likely on the outside of things, leaving Madrigal, Wisdom, and – to a lesser extent – Busch behind Morel.
The Big Question: How “everyday” is everyday?
There are more obvious questions. Can Morel hang as an everyday guy? Is he a long-term option if he does? Do the Cubs have the depth there if he fails or gets hurt? But they’re not necessarily unique ones. The largest question, in my mind, is whether Christopher Morel: Everyday Third Baseman comes as something of a misnomer.
We know the Cubs have a great deal of roster flexibility beyond their entrenched starters in the middle of the infield and the outfield corners. They have positional versatility off the bench. Could we see a situation where Morel is more part of a rotation between third and DH, rather than the more familiar Regular 3B/Occasional DH? If Craig Counsell wants to work in Madrigal, Wisdom, Busch, or even Miles Mastrobuoni, then I suppose it’s possible more in a way that subjects Morel to DH more than anyone else in the field.
One has to imagine that the cerebral nature of the Cubs’ new skipper would lead him to steer clear of this, though. In an ideal world, though, Morel is given the everyday crack until the sample becomes large enough to make a determination on his positional future one way or the other.
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