Cubs Video
Christopher Morel is a known quantity with his bat. He proved his major league bona fides by posting an .826 OPS in 429 at-bats last year, a big improvement on his already-impressive .741 OPS from his rookie season. By OPS+, he was 16% better than the league average hitter, and his 26 home runs tied for the team lead with Cody Bellinger. He’s as important to the Cubs’ lineup as anyone else on the roster, so manager Craig Counsell aims to bat him in the top half of the order daily.
Despite his power-hitting prowess, Morel hasn’t fully established himself as an everyday player, and fans are well-versed in why by now: the 24-year-old can’t find a defensive home. Throughout his time in the minor league, Morel played primarily at second base, though he moonlighted at a handful of other positions. With Nico Hoerner entrenched at the keystone for the Cubs, Morel has shifted around the diamond frequently, playing every single position besides first base and catcher during his time in Chicago. Despite his versatility, he hasn’t settled in anywhere, and he ended up playing more than half (61 of 107) of his games as the designated hitter last year.
Of course, Morel has the bat to keep pace with some of the league’s better hitters at DH, but that isn’t the issue. The problem is the Cubs have a hyper-athletic 24-year-old who can’t stick at one position despite, according to Statcast, landing in the 82nd percentile in sprint speed and 99th percentile (!) in arm strength. The Cubs have determined they’ll give Morel the first crack at locking down third base long-term. It’s bound to be a competition - the team has Nick Madrigal, Patrick Wisdom, Michael Busch, and Miles Mastrobuoni as third base-capable options on the 40-man roster (and top prospect Matt Shaw is already banging down the door to Triple-A Iowa after getting drafted in the first round last year). However, Counsell has thrown his weight behind Morel, telling reporters at camp: “Let’s evaluate that as we go but let’s give him a chance at third base; let’s give him some consistency at third base. ‘See where we’re at roster-wise at some point in camp and then go forward from there."
Morel’s predominant issue is his range and instincts; last year, he posted a well-below-average -7 Outs Above Average despite limited playing time in the field. As such, the Cubs have been working with him to improve his first step, and they’ll adjust his positioning relative to the bag to account for his arm strength and shortstop Dansby Swanson’s gold glove range (i.e., they’ll let Morel play closer to the foul line since he can make throws from that distance to first base with ease).
Early in Spring Training, Morel has gotten a lot of action at third base, serving as the Cubs’ definitive starter for single-squad games. Some of the results of his hard work have been impressive:
Other times, he’s still producing multiple gaffes in the same game, fumbling routine grounders, or air-mailing basic throws across the diamond:
https://www.mlb.com/video/christopher-morel-s-intersting-day-at-3rd-base
Even with his errors, the Cubs have stuck by Morel, consistently starting him at third and letting him work through his issues. “Hopefully, frankly, [there are] mistakes,” Counsell told reporters after the game against the Los Angeles Angels. “I want mistakes because you learn from mistakes. I want action — balls hit to you. That’s what I’m rooting for in the game. Let’s hit a lot of balls to Christopher Morel. You want that. From that perspective, he’s on the field every morning and getting that accomplished. We’re in good shape.”
It will likely be third base or bust for Morel this season in the field. Hoerner and Swanson, respectively, lock down second base and shortstop, and the outfield triumvirate of Ian Happ, Cody Bellinger, and Seiya Suzuki will be patrolling left, center, and right field as long as they’re all healthy and well-rested. It’s true that, eventually, Pete Crow-Armstrong could push Bellinger back to first base, which could have a domino effect with Michael Busch and Morel, but that’s a conversation best saved for another time.
For now, expect Morel to be the Cubs’ starting third baseman on Opening Day. Only time will tell how long their leash is with him at the hot corner, but they’re going to get bat in the lineup, one way or another. Madrigal's defensive performance at third last year has given fans hope that Morel can acclimate himself similarly rapidly, though even if his glove never lives up to its potential, the young slugger will remain a key cog in the team’s plans for contention.
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