Chicago Cubs rumors: Christopher Morel and the DH, trade talk, record oddities
By Kevin Henry
With the Chicago Cubs having a day off on Thursday, it’s a good time to dive into some of the latest with the team and what could happen at the MLB trade deadline.
After splitting a six-game homestead with the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals (including all of the Willson Contreras drama that came with it), the Chicago Cubs will open a three-game series in Minnesota against the Twins on Apple TV+ on Friday night.
The Cubs will take an 18-19 record and a third-place slot in the NL Central into the series with the current AL Central-leading Twins. Chicago will also bring a fresh yet familiar face with them to the Twin Cities as well.
Cubs rumors: What to do with Christopher Morel?
The 23-year-old Morel made his MLB debut last season, blasting 16 homers, stealing 10 bases, and slashing .235/.308/.433 in 425 plate appearances. However, with a roster crunch thanks to plenty of veterans coming onto the roster to open the season, Morel had to start 2023 at Triple-A.
However, with his 2023 debut earlier this week against the Cardinals, Morel has shown, as manager David Ross has indicated, he’s learned all he can in Triple-A, with Ross saying that ”he’s better than that league.”
But now the question becomes where can Morel play in a stacked Cubs lineup? The answer may be at designated hitter, where the Cubs rank 25th among MLB’s 30 teams in bWAR at minus-0.6.
Against the Cardinals, Morel played one game at second base and one game at designated hitter, going 2-for-4 in each scenario. Don’t be surprised if Morel gets more chances to improve Chicago’s DH role, which could force another shuffle for Ross as he tries to find playing time for Eric Hosmer and Trey Mancini.
That could be especially true when Nico Hoerner returns from his hamstring injury because it sounds like the Cubs may hang on to Morel and not send him back to Triple-A Iowa.