3 Cubs who won't be back despite surviving the MLB Winter Meetings

The Chicago Cubs have been connected to just about every major free agent and trade target out there, but have been extremely quiet to begin this offseason. They were one of many teams that wound up doing absolutely nothing during the Winter Meetings.

The Cubs added Craig Counsell to be their new manager, but have yet to address a roster that missed out on the postseason in 2023 and has several key free agents including Cody Bellinger and Marcus Stroman available for any team to sign.

While the Cubs will look to do some damage in free agency, they should also be very active in the trade market. These players were not traded during the Winter Meetings but won't be in a Cubs uniform when Opening Day rolls around.

Cubs who won't be back: Christopher Morel

Christopher Morel has been a popular name on the trade market this offseason. He was connected to both Pete Alonso and Tyler Glasnow at certain points already this offseason, and if Chicago does wind up making a big blockbuster, Morel could easily find his way into one.

There's a lot of good that comes with Morel, but he's far from a perfect player. The imperfections make him more likely to be moved than not.

Morel is just 24 years old and just posted an .821 OPS while hitting 26 home runs this past season in only 107 games played. He is already a terrific power hitter. He has five years of control remaining, and made appearances at six different positions plus the DH spot for the Cubs in 2023 alone.

All of those things are great, but Morel leaves a lot to be desired too. While he played at many positions, he never stuck at any. His best spot is really DH, which is not super appealing for teams that would be looking to acquire him. Additionally, while he has tons of power, Morel strikes out a lot and doesn't get on base at a very high clip. There are reasons teams would want him, but the concerns are very real as well.

The Cubs could definitely use Morel, but can also ship him to a rebuilding team as part of a package that would bring them back a better player. Don't be surprised if that happens, especially if they fail to land the top free agents on the market.