"Morel finished the 2024 season with a 50 OPS+ in 49 games with the Rays, hitting three home runs and driving in only nine runs. For the season, he slashed .196/.288/.346 with an 81 wRC+ and -1.0 fWAR."
"The Cubs have quite a bit more roster freedom and will need to build a new bench this offseason with Justin Turner and Willi Castro entering free agency. Adding Morel as a relatively cheap depth piece could be an option with a hope for the upside that he saw during his stint in Chicago. Not only did he seem to thrive off the energy at Wrigley, but his younger brother Rafael is in the minors with the Cubs."
"Morel's swing speed (76.0 mph) remained among the best in baseball, helping him to produce above-average barrel and hard-hit rates. The downside has long been the frequency of his contact, as his 35.7% last season was the worst of his career and one of the worst in MLB. Between small improvements there and the lower risk of being more of a utility option, not to mention his familiarity with the organization, he'd be an intriguing option to back up Ian Happ and Matt Shaw."
The Tampa Bay Rays designated Christopher Morel for assignment after inconsistent performance and injury-limited play following his 2024 trade from the Cubs. Morel posted a 50 OPS+ in 49 games after the trade and finished 2024 with an 81 wRC+ and -1.0 fWAR. He improved slightly in 2025 to a 90 wRC+ and -0.1 fWAR across 305 plate appearances but missed time due to injuries. The Rays avoided arbitration on a projected $2.6 million salary. The Cubs could pursue Morel as a low-cost, high-swing-speed depth piece familiar with the organization and offering utility bench upside.
Read at Cubsinsider
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]