Cubs are considering giving up on Christopher Morel for devastatingly short-sighted return

After just falling short in their pursuit of reaching the postseason, the Chicago Cubs are looking to make a big splash this offseason. They've been linked to just about everybody, from Shohei Ohtani to Juan Soto, and even Pete Alonso.

One player the Cubs have dangled around in trade talks has been Christopher Morel, who Bob Nightengale of USA Today says has been discussed in a potential Tyler Glasnow trade. This would be nothing short of a colossal mistake made by Jed Hoyer and the Cubs.

Trading Christopher Morel for one season of Tyler Glasnow would be a major Cubs blunder

Tyler Glasnow makes sense as a potential Cubs target. Chicago could use another frontline arm alongside Justin Steele with Marcus Stroman likely departing, and Glasnow fits that bill to a tee when healthy. The key words there are when and healthy.

Glasnow set career highs with 21 starts and 120 innings pitched this past season for the Rays. Yes, his career highs after eight seasons are 21 starts and 120 innings pitched. There's no disputing Glasnow's talent, but relying on him to simply take the ball every fifth day is something no team can really afford to do at this point.

The Cubs taking the risk on Glasnow would be fine, considering the fact that it feels almost certain that Tampa Bay will be dealing him and the ask wouldn't be too insane. At least that's what most had assumed before Christopher Morel's name came up in trade talks.

Morel is a flawed player who strikes out a lot and doesn't really have a positional home yet, but he's still a whole lot more valuable than Glasnow at this point. Even with his limitations, Morel hit 26 home runs, had an .826 OPS, and appeared at six different positions plus DH for Chicago this past season. He's far from a perfect player, but has value, particularly on offense.

What makes it insane to see the 24-year-old's name in these trade talks is the fact that he doesn't even hit arbitration until after the 2025 season. He has five years of team control before he hits free agency. Trading that away in exchange for one year of an oft-injured starter would be a mistake.

The Cubs are not just a Tyler Glasnow away from being World Series contenders. You can even argue they're not Shohei Ohtani away from being real contenders. Trading one of their young studs for a rental only makes sense if the rental can put them over the top. Glasnow and his risks that come along with him certainly don't fit that criteria.

Sure, go after Glasnow, but keep Morel's name out of it. If the Rays want to give up Randy Arozarena, that's a whole other discussion worth having.