Christopher Morel

Pete Alonso Looking To Surpass Recent Deals For Top First Basemen

By Darragh McDonald | November 17, 2023 at 2:51pm CDT

The relationship between the Mets and Pete Alonso has a ticking clock on it, with the slugging first baseman now less than a year away from free agency. There have been plenty of rumors about the possibilities of a trade or an extension, though neither has come to fruition thus far. This week, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that Alonso’s requests in extension talks have surpassed the recent contracts for other first basemen from recent years. Meanwhile, Jesse Rogers of ESPN reports that the Cubs continue to have interest and would be willing to make Christopher Morel part of the return package.

Alonso’s appeal is obvious as he has been one of the best power bats in the majors since his 2019 debut. He has hit between 37 and 53 home runs in each full season of his career and 16 more in the shortened 2020 campaign. His 192 long balls since the start of 2019 are easily the most in baseball, with Matt Olson second at 177. Overall, Alonso has hit .251/.342/.528 for a wRC+ of 133. Reviews on his glovework are mixed, with Ultimate Zone Rating and Outs Above Average considering him to be subpar, though Defensive Runs Saved disagrees. Regardless, his bat is potent enough that he’s plenty valuable even without strong work in the field.

That Alonso is looking to get a contract “much bigger” than the top first base contracts of recent years, per Passan, is fairly logical given his output. The last decade saw some mammoth deals for first basemen but recent years have seen a softening. Miguel Cabrera got an extension of $248MM from the Tigers, topping the $240MM and $214MM earned by free agents Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder, respectively. But that Cabrera deal was in 2014, whereas the latter two deals were going into 2012.

Since that time, the two biggest guarantees for first basemen went to Olson and Freddie Freeman. Olson signed an eight-year, $168MM extension with Atlanta when he was still two years away from free agency. Back in February, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco took a look at Alonso as an extension candidate and noted the similarities between them at the time. But since then, Alonso has moved one year closer to the open market. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him to get a salary of $22MM in his final arbitration season. Players generally increase their earning power as they move closer to free agency, which give Alonso an argument for going past Olson at this point.

Freeman got his six-year, $162MM deal on the open market, but going into his age-32 season. He can’t match Alonso’s power but has generally had better batting averages and on-base percentages, in addition to a stronger defensive reputation. But Alonso is slated to reach free agency ahead of his age-30 campaign, making him two years younger than when Freeman went to the Dodgers.

All this suggests Alonso and agent Scott Boras are setting their sights on something in the $200MM range. It’s unclear if the Mets have any interest in meeting that asking price but it also doesn’t appear they are being pushed into a trade. President of baseball operations David Stearns has said multiple times that he expects Alonso to be the club’s Opening Day first baseman next year. “I don’t draw lines in the sand,” Stearns said last week. “And I’m never gonna say never. But I absolutely think it’s fair that I don’t anticipate him being traded.”

If the Mets were to consider a trade, the Cubs continue to have interest, per Rogers. The two clubs reportedly discussed Alonso at the deadline last year and the Cubs still don’t have an obvious solution at first base. Matt Mervis continued to hit well in Triple-A, slashing .282/.399/.533 this year, but his first 99 plate appearances in the majors led to a line of just .167/.242/.289. The Cubs could give him another shot but they may prefer a more established player like Alonso.

It was recently reported that Morel is getting some work at first base in winter ball, which gives them another option there, but a trade of Morel also seems to be on the table. He has struck out at a 31.6% clip in his first 854 plate appearances but the power is real, launching 42 home runs in that time. The problem is defense, with Morel generally considered not a great fit for shortstop, third base or the outfield. Moving to first might be a decent compromise, but it would be a waste of his strong throwing arm, which Statcast places in the 99th percentile.

Morel has posted decent results at second base but the Cubs have a middle infield of Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner. Hoyer recently stated that “another team might be able to put him” at second, which perhaps suggests Morel is more valuable to the Cubs as a trade chip than anything else and this report from Rogers suggests that may indeed be their thinking.

The Mets have Jeff McNeil as their most likely option at the keystone, though he’s also capable of playing third base or an outfield corner, so perhaps they would have some interest in Morel. Giving up on a fan favorite like Alonso would be a tough pill to swallow but Morel is cheaper, having not yet reached arbitration, and still has five years of club control. It would leave the club with a hole at first base though they could perhaps try Mark Vientos there or acquire a cheap free agent stopgap. Prospect Ryan Clifford, acquired in the Justin Verlander trade, could be a future option at that spot but he’s yet to crack Double-A. Putting Morel at second could block Ronny Mauricio but he didn’t hit the ground running in his first major league action and could also move over to third base and battle Brett Baty for playing time. Luisangel Acuña, acquired in the Max Scherzer trade, could be an option at the keystone in the future but has yet to reach Triple-A to this point.

All this is speculative and there’s still nothing to suggest the Mets like Morel or even want to move Alonso. But they will likely have to make some kind of decision at some point. If they don’t trade Alonso now or at the 2024 trade deadline, they would be left to make him a qualifying offer at season’s end and collect a compensation pick. But since they are likely to pay the luxury tax yet again, that pick would be between the fourth and fifth round of the draft, surely far less appealing than whatever they could get in a trade. But with Steve Cohen’s unprecedented spending in recent years, it also wouldn’t be a shock to see Alonso locked up for an extended stay in Queens.

NL Central Notes: Shildt, Brewers, Morel, Keller, Cruz

By Mark Polishuk | November 12, 2023 at 10:36pm CDT

Mike Shildt is considered one of the favorites to be the Padres’ next manager, but USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that if San Diego doesn’t make the hire, the Brewers would have interest in Shildt for their own managerial vacancy. Shildt and bench coach Ryan Flaherty are thought to be the two top candidates in San Diego, though there is a bit of fluidity to the situation. Shildt, Flaherty, and Angels infield coach Benji Gil were thought to be the final three (Carlos Mendoza was also a finalist before he was hired by the Mets) candidates, but the Padres have since interviewed Phil Nevin and also reportedly have some interest in ex-Cubs skipper David Ross.

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi writes that “Padres are expected to” make their decision on a new manager by the middle of the week, so the Brewers should know soon about Shildt’s availability. The Brew Crew didn’t want to fully explore other candidates until Craig Counsell had made his decision, but after Counsell shocked the baseball world by supplanting Ross as the Cubs’ dugout boss, the Brewers now have a preliminary candidate list that included six names. Joe Espada was on the list but has now been hired by the Astros as their new manager, so Shildt’s inclusion might keep the field at six for now. Milwaukee has plenty of intra-division familiarity with Shildt, as he managed the Cardinals from 2018-21 before joining the Padres in an advisory role.

Some other items from around the NL Central…

Christopher Morel has drawn a lot of buzz as a trade candidate this winter, but The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma have some doubts that the Cubs would move Morel for a player who is only under control for the 2024 season. Morel is controlled through the 2028 season, so Chicago is likelier to explore trades that would see another longer-term asset come back to Wrigleyville, in the event that Morel is moved at all. The 24-year-old has shown lots of power potential and the athleticism to play multiple positions, though it remains to be seen if Morel is a real defensive plus anywhere on the diamond. The presence of Nico Hoerner at second base perhaps blocks Morel at an ideal position, though Morel is preparing to add first base to his repertoire and might be an option at the cold corner if the Cubs don’t add a more established first baseman.
The Pirates were known to have had some talks with Mitch Keller about a contract extension last May, and while no deal was hammered out, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that “talks gained traction during the middle of last season, though the up-and-down nature of performance mixed with business led both sides to press pause until the fall or winter.” Keller had an overall solid 2023 season, but ran into a midseason slump with a 6.28 ERA over five starts in July. The Bucs also received some trade interest in Keller leading up to the deadline, and while it didn’t seem like a deal was ever likely to happen, it makes sense that the Pirates didn’t want to lock themselves into an extension with Keller just in case another club came along with a blow-away offer. Speaking with Mackey and other reporters at the GM Meetings, Bucs general manager Ben Cherington called Keller “one of the guys who checks a lot of boxes” and “a guy we would love to see in a Pirates uniform for a long time,” but unsurprisingly didn’t give any information on the status of any ongoing extension negotiations.
Cherington did give an update on Oneil Cruz, who might play some winter ball in the Dominican Republic as a way of continuing his recovery from ankle surgery. Cruz played in only nine games last season due to the April surgery, as continued soreness in his left leg prevented him from returning to action in September. The good news is that Cruz has been participating in full baseball activities at the Pirates’ training camp, and he’ll be at least getting in some game action at the Pirates’ academy in the Dominican Republic, even if the winter ball assignment doesn’t happen. Cherington still expects Cruz to be ready to go for Spring Training.

Cubs Will Give Christopher Morel Reps At First Base

By Steve Adams | November 9, 2023 at 11:15pm CDT

The Cubs are planning to get slugger Christopher Morel some work at first base in winter ball this offseason, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said at this week’s GM Meetings (link via Meaghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune). The 24-year-old Morel has impressed the club with his power through his first season-plus in the big leagues but has yet to settle into a defensive home. Hoyer noted that Morel is a “very capable second baseman,” but the presence of Nico Hoerner there and Dansby Swanson at shortstop clouds Morel’s positional outlook.

Morel made his big league debut with the Cubs in 2022, appearing in 113 games and taking 425 plate appearances while bouncing all over the field. He logged a nearly identical amount of playing time in a similar role this past season. On the whole, he’s played in 220 games, taken 854 plate appearances, and posted a combined .241/.311/.471 slash with 42 home runs and 16 steals.

The power Morel has to offer is obvious, but it comes with some red flags as well; Morel has fanned in 31.6% of his plate appearances. Though he draws walks at a roughly average 8.7% clip, the frequent punchouts lead to low batting averages and drag down his overall on-base percentage. Couple that with sub-par defensive grades at every position other than second base, and he’s been something of a square peg in a round hole on the Cubs’ roster.

Looking to the 2024 season, however, Chicago doesn’t have an obvious solution at first base. Free agent Cody Bellinger manned that position frequently in 2023 after a head-scratching run with Eric Hosmer didn’t pan out and after prospect Matt Mervis failed to hit the ground running. Mervis is still just 25 and has posted video game numbers in two Triple-A seasons, but he batted only .167/.242/.289 in 99 big league plate appearances during his debut. He could get another look this season, but Morel has already produced at the plate in the big leagues, so there’s plenty of sense in taking the offseason to see if he can handle the position to get his bat into the lineup.

Of course, given the lack of a clear fit on the Cubs’ roster, it’s only natural to wonder whether Morel might end up being utilized as a trade chip. Montemurro suggests such a path is possible for the Cubs, and Hoyer himself followed his comment about Morel being a capable second baseman by noting that “another team might be able to put him [at second base].” That said, Hoyer also noted that finding a defensive home for Morel on the Cubs’ roster “would be really valuable,” noting that first base specifically fits the Cubs’ needs.

There’s no definitive declaration that Morel will be shopped this winter, but it’s easy enough to see the appeal. Questions about his hit tool notwithstanding, when Morel does make contact, it’s typically quite loud. Beyond the raw home run numbers, he was in the 91st percentile or better in terms of average exit velocity, hard-hit rate and barrel rate, per Statcast. He also boasts 81st percentile sprint speed and 99th percentile arm strength on his throws (which would seem something of a waste at first base).

On top of the loud tools, Morel has less than two years of big league service time. Any club acquiring him would be picking up five years of control over him. Morel probably won’t be eligible for arbitration until after the 2025 season, although he’s on track to finish the 2024 campaign right on the cusp of Super Two eligibility, so there’s some chance that’ll come after the 2024 campaign. Regardless, he’s under team control through the 2028 season.

Central Notes: Kiermaier, Twins, Anderson, Morel, Kantrovitz, Bloom

By Mark Polishuk | November 5, 2023 at 11:15pm CDT

The Twins are interested in Kevin Kiermaier to address their need in center field, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Since Byron Buxton’s health and ability to play center field is still in doubt, the Twins are again looking for some help up the middle, as Michael A. Taylor (acquired last winter in a trade with the Royals) is now a free agent. Kiermaier would come at a higher price tag in free agency, yet the veteran offers equally stellar glovework, albeit with a pretty significant injury history in his own right.

With the Blue Jays managing Kiermaier’s playing time in order to keep him healthy, Kiermaier managed to almost entirely avoid the injured list in 2023, while hitting .265/.322/.419 over 408 plate appearances and winning another Gold Glove for his work in center field. If Buxton is able to play in the field at all, the Twins could conceivably platoon Buxton and Kiermaier in center field to keep both players fresh. Signing Kiermaier would add yet another name to a somewhat crowded list of Minnesota position players, yet Nightengale feels the Twins will aim to trade from this surplus to land pitching help

Cubs Reportedly Interested In Juan Soto

By Nick Deeds | October 27, 2023 at 6:19pm CDT

The Cubs are reportedly among the teams that have interest in dealing for Padres superstar Juan Soto this offseason, per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, who reports that Chicago will be “involved” in Soto’s market. It’s the second report this week to suggest a potential trade partner for the Padres in a Soto deal, as earlier reporting indicated that the Yankees have checked in with the Padres regarding Soto’s availability.

Reports have indicated that the Padres will look to cut payroll this offseason by as much as $50MM. With key pieces of the club’s pitching staff like Blake Snell, Josh Hader, and Seth Lugo likely ticketed for free agency this winter, that leaves the club minimal room to either re-sign or replace those arms as they look to bounce back from a difficult 2023 campaign that saw them miss the postseason with an 82-80 record. A trade of Soto, who MLBTR’s Matt Swartz projects to receive $33MM in his final trip through arbitration this offseason, would free up plenty of budget space for the Padres this offseason while also providing an influx of young talent that could impact the club in 2024 and beyond.

Meanwhile, the Cubs are coming off a relatively surprising season that saw them exceed expectations. Rather than the expected sell-off that would have seen them deal Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger, the Cubs picked up third baseman Jeimer Candelario and reliever Jose Cuas at the trade deadline and entered September in good shape to return to the postseason in a full campaign for the first time since 2018. Unfortunately, the club collapsed down the stretch with a 7-15 record over their final 22 games. Ultimately, the club finished with an 83-79 record, just one game back of the Diamondbacks and Marlins in the NL Wild Card race.

With Bellinger set to hit free agency this offseason, replacing the outfielders 134 wRC+ and 4.1 fWAR figures to be a key focus of the offseason in Chicago. Soto, who slashed .275/.410/.519 with a 155 wRC+ and 5.5 fWAR in characteristically excellent 2023 campaign, would certainly fill the gap in the club’s offense left by Bellinger’s impending departure. That being said, Soto’s fit in Chicago is imperfect. Most notably, the club has both Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki locked up to patrol the outfield corners through the 2026 campaign, complicating Soto’s positional fit on the team. While Happ has plenty of experience in center field, he made no appearances at the position in 2023 and played just 12 innings there in 2022; his last season as the club’s regular center fielder was in 2020, his age-25 campaign.

Of course, that’s to say nothing of Chicago’s outfield-heavy crop of prospect talent residing in the upper minors, headlined by top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong and his elite center field defense. Both Crow-Armstrong and Alexander Canario made their big league debuts this September, while Owen Caissie, Kevin Alcantara, and Brennen Davis are also limited to the outfield. Of course, that logjam could be cleared by including one or more of the aforementioned prospects in the return package for Soto, though even in that case the Cubs would likely be forced to play Soto or Happ primarily at DH in 2023 upon the arrival of Crow-Armstrong.

Another potentially complicating factor for the Cubs is Soto’s pending free agency. With Soto set to hit the open market following the 2024 season and the Cubs still building up toward contention, it’s fair to wonder if a club better situated for a World Series run in 2024 would be more aggressive in looking to acquire Soto than the Cubs. Although an acquiring club could certainly look to extend Soto to a long-term deal after dealing for him, agent Scott Boras is known for encouraging his clients to establish their value on the open market and Soto previously rejected a $440MM extension offer from the Nationals earlier in his career.

The Cubs have rarely shown an appetite for megadeals at that level, as evidenced by last offseason’s signing of Dansby Swanson to a seven-year, $177MM deal in lieu of a pursuit of another top shortstop like Trea Turner or Xander Bogaerts, both of whom signed commitments spanning a decade or longer. That said, it’s worth noting that Soto is far younger than the typical free agent. Swanson’s current deal in Chicago runs through his age-35 season; Soto could sign a 10-year deal next offseason and celebrate his 36th birthday during October of the final year of that contract.

Levine goes on to discuss a potential return package for Soto if the Padres and Cubs were to agree on a trade. He notes that utility player Christopher Morel has garnered trade interest from multiple clubs, and that sources indicated the Padres are particularly high on him. Morel hit well during his sophomore campaign in 2023, slashing .247/.313/.508 with 26 home runs. Morel primarily served as Chicago’s DH this season, though he logged time at all three outfield spots, second base, third base, and shortstop throughout the season. While Morel has proven playable all around the diamond, he’s appeared to be a below-average fielder at most of those positions. His best defensive position appears to be second base, though in Chicago he’s blocked at the keystone by 2023 Gold Glove finalist Nico Hoerner, who’s under contract through 2026. Between Morel’s bat, versatility, and pre-arbitration status, he figures to be a sought-after piece in trade discussions with the Cubs this offseason even in spite of his defensive shortcomings.

MLBTR Trade Rumors Podcast: Exciting Youth Movements in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, Bad Central Divisions and the Dodgers Want Pitching

By Darragh McDonald | June 21, 2023 at 11:59pm CDT

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:

the Pirates promote Henry Davis (1:20)
the scorching-hot Reds designate Wil Myers for assignment (7:35)
Guardians promote Gavin Williams (10:40)
White Sox want to sell rental pieces only (16:20)
Dodgers need pitching (19:15)

Plus, we answer your questions, including:

Do you think the Cubs will deal Christopher Morel at the deadline? (22:45)
What are the chances the Diamondbacks promote Jordan Lawlar later this season? (25:50)
If Rangers make a blockbuster trade who would you think it would be? Obviously bullpen is a need but what is something blockbuster worthy? (29:45)

Check out our past episodes!

Marcus Stroman Lobbies for Extension, Mets’ Woes and Astros Seeking Bats – listen here
Elly De La Cruz, Alek Manoah’s Demotion and Surgery for Jacob deGrom – listen here
The Wide-Open NL Wild Card Race, Returning Pitchers and Cast-Off Veterans – listen here

Cubs Outright Rowan Wick, Option Christopher Morel

By Steve Adams | March 27, 2023 at 6:30pm CDT

The Cubs announced Monday that right-hander Rowan Wick went unclaimed on waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Iowa. The team also optioned infielder/outfielder Christopher Morel to Iowa. Non-roster veterans Mike Tauchman and Roenis Elias, meanwhile, have been reassigned to minor league camp. They won’t make the roster out of spring training. Manager David Ross also confirmed earlier in the day that right-hander Javier Assad has made the team’s Opening Day bullpen (Twitter link via Jordan Bastian of MLB.com).

Wick, 30, has enough service time to reject the outright assignment, but doing so would mean forfeiting the $1.55MM salary to which he agreed earlier in the offseason when he avoided arbitration. As such, he’s all but certain to accept the assignment and remain in the organization without occupying a spot on the 40-man roster.

Wick has spent the past four seasons with the Cubs, pitching to a combined 3.66 ERA with a 25.2% strikeout rate, 10.7% walk rate and 44.2% ground-ball rate. His results have dipped over the past two years, however, with his ERA clocking in at 4.24 during that time. Last year’s 23.5% strikeout rate was the lowest of his four seasons with the Cubs.

The Cubs had enough faith in Wick to sign him to that $1.55MM deal, and that salary now quite likely helped them pass him through waivers. Since avoiding arbitration with Wick, they’ve signed Brad Boxberger and Michael Fulmer in addition to claiming hard-throwing righty Julian Merryweather off waivers. With a strong showing in Iowa, Wick would figure to put himself back in the mix for a big league spot pretty quickly, given his track record, but he’ll open the year in the minors and off the 40-man roster.

As for Morel, he’ll head to Iowa to receive regular at-bats rather than work in a part-time role on the big league roster. The 23-year-old hit .235/.308/.433 while playing third base, second base, shortstop, left field and center field in his MLB debut last summer. That came on the heels of a huge .306/.380/.565 batting line in Double-A. However, Morel still has only nine Triple-A games to his name, and strikeouts were an issue for him both in last year’s debut (32.2%) and even more so during spring training in 2023 (42.1%). Even though he fanned 24 times in 57 Cactus League plate appearances, he still posted a .269/.333/.577 batting line, but that type of production isn’t sustainable with such pronounced swing-and-miss issues.

The decision to option Morel doesn’t take away from the fact that the Cubs are still hoping he’ll be a major contributor for them over the long term. However, for the time being, the focus will be on reining in his strikeout tendencies in order to better take advantage of his impressive combination of plus raw power and plus speed.

NL Central Notes: Reynolds, Pirates, Brewers, Cubs

By Nick Deeds | February 23, 2023 at 1:22pm CDT

Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said yesterday that he expects star Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds and club officials to resume discussions regarding a possible extension at some point soon. That Reynolds and the Pirates would resume talks is of little surprise. While the sides were around $50MM apart in previous discussions and Reynolds went as far as to request a trade back in December, since reporting to camp last week Reynolds has reiterated that he would still be interested in extending his stay in Pittsburgh, so long as a deal that’s fair for all parties is presented.

Whether Reynolds ultimately signs an extension with the Pirates or departs, either by trade or as a free agent following the 2025 season, he seems likely to find his payday somewhere. The 28-year-old outfielder has largely looked the part of an All Star-caliber player since his debut in 2019, barring the shortened 2020 campaign where Reynolds struggled thanks in large part to a deflated .231 BABIP and an anomalous uptick in strikeout rate. The 2021 season in particular was a stellar one for Reynolds, as he slashed .302/.390/.522 (good for a 141 wRC+) while playing strong defense in center field and accumulating 6.1 fWAR throughout a campaign that would ultimately see him garner down-ballot MVP votes. That could prove to be a ceiling, particularly if defensive metrics continue to sour on his glovework in center (as was the case in 2022), but the widespread trade interest in Reynolds and the Buccos’ own interest in extending him speak to the caliber of player he’s become in his four big league seasons.

The Cubs’ Third Base Options

By Anthony Franco | February 9, 2023 at 4:22pm CDT

The Cubs have made a number of additions to their lineup, none more impactful than the signing of Dansby Swanson at shortstop. That pushed Nico Hoerner over to second base. Chicago also brought in Cody Bellinger to play center field, signed Tucker Barnhart to share time with Yan Gomes at catcher in place of Willson Contreras, and added Trey Mancini and Eric Hosmer for the first base/designated hitter mix.

It was a dramatic overhaul, with the corner outfield tandem of Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki the only players whose positions haven’t seemed up in the air at any point. The other position the front office left untouched, third base, looks as if it’ll come down to a battle between a handful of internal options with the free agent market all but picked through. There are two players who have the clearest path to reps at the hot corner in the early going.

Patrick Wisdom

Wisdom has been the primary third baseman on Chicago’s north side for the last two seasons. He’s tallied just under 700 plate appearances at the position since the start of 2021, handily topping second-place Matt Duffy (204 PAs in 2021). The only other player with even 100+ trips to the dish as a third baseman, David Bote, lost his spot on the 40-man roster at the start of the offseason.

Signed to a minor league deal over the 2020-21 offseason (following a cup of coffee with the MLB club the year before), Wisdom has combined for 53 home runs and 41 doubles in 239 games over the last two years. He carries a .465 slugging percentage and .248 isolated power mark over 909 plate appearances, continually making an impact from a power perspective. The right-handed hitter has paired that with significant on-base concerns, however. He’s hit just .217 while reaching base at a below-average .301 rate. That’s mostly due to massive swing-and-miss in his game, as he’s gone down on strikes in 37% of his plate appearances. That’s the highest rate in the majors for any player with as much playing time, narrowly topping Joey Gallo’s 36.6% clip.

Wisdom’s power has been sufficient to manage a slightly above-average slash line in spite of the contact issues. That’s fine production, particularly when paired with the above-average defensive grades he managed in 2021. Metrics like Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast’s Outs Above Average estimated he was well below average with the glove last season, however, leading both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference to value his 2022 campaign around one win above replacement.

The 31-year-old has proven he deserves a spot on an MLB roster and the Cubs have made out exceptionally well on their no-risk signing two years ago. Yet the on-base and defensive concerns suggest Wisdom might be better suited as a role-playing power bat who can rotate through all four corner positions off the bench than as an everyday third baseman. He’s been far better against lefties (.238/.329/.533) than against righties (.209/.290/.438) over the past two seasons.

Christopher Morel

If the Cubs were to scale back Wisdom’s playing time, Morel would seem to be the primary beneficiary. The 23-year-old made his major league debut last season and generally impressed, albeit with some of the same question marks facing Wisdom. Morel connected on 16 home runs, 19 doubles and four triples in just 435 trips to the plate. He posted an overall .235/.306/.433 line through his first 113 big league contests. That slightly topped Wisdom’s .207/.298/.426 showing from last season.

That said, Morel also struggled significantly to make contact. He struck out in 32.2% of his plate appearances. Perhaps more alarming was that he swung and missed at 18.1% of the pitches he saw. That was the sixth-highest rate in MLB (minimum 400 PAs), and those concerns became more pronounced down the stretch. Morel carried an impressive .266/.338/.477 line into the All-Star Break despite a 30.7% strikeout rate. In the second half, his strikeout percentage jumped to 34.2% and he limped to a .194/.269/.376 finish.

At age 23, Morel is certainly capable of taking a step forward as he gains experience against big league pitching. He’s long flashed promising power but posted higher than average strikeout totals throughout his time in the minors. Concerns about his bat-to-ball skills kept him from emerging as a top-tier prospect prior to his debut despite evaluators’ praise for his power potential, athleticism and arm strength. Morel’s an interesting player, but one whose approach could make him a volatile offensive performer. He had reverse platoon splits in 2022, hitting .190/.297/.300 against left-handers against a .251/.313/.470 mark versus righties. That’s too small a sample from which to glean meaningful conclusions, though Wisdom’s more traditional splits could point towards him getting a few more reps against left-handed arms than Morel will.

It’s a similar story on the other side of the ball. Morel played mostly infield in the minor leagues, with third base his primary position. The Cubs bounced him around the diamond at the MLB level but deployed him most often in center field, hoping his speed and arm strength would translate. DRS and Statcast agreed he was a below-average center fielder in spite of his athleticism, as his inexperience at the position was evident. He also drew lackluster marks in limited action on the left side of the infield, though the sample in that case was exceedingly small.

Other Options

While Wisdom and Morel seem the two likeliest candidates to battle for playing time, the Cubs have a few other infield options on the 40-man roster. Miles Mastrobuoni, 27, was acquired from the Rays at the start of the offseason. He has only eight MLB games under his belt but hit .300/.377/.469 with 16 homers and 23 stolen bases in 573 plate appearances with Triple-A Durham last year. He’s primarily been a second baseman in the minors but has experience everywhere on the diamond aside from first base and catcher. His left-handed bat would pair well with the righty-hitting Wisdom and Morel if skipper David Ross wanted to play matchups. Mastrobuoni mashed at a .315/.396/.497 clip while holding the platoon advantage in 2022.

Nick Madrigal was displaced by Hoerner’s move to second base. He had a dismal 2022 season, hitting just .249/.305/.282 in 59 games while thrice landing on the injured list thanks to a back strain and strains of both groins. Madrigal had started the previous season with a solid .305/.349/.425 showing for the White Sox before suffering a season-ending hamstring tear. He’s only ever played up the middle dating back to his time at Oregon State — primarily at the keystone — but third base might be the clearest path to getting his bat in the lineup if the front office is still intrigued by his elite bat-to-ball ability.

His 5’8″, 175-pound frame isn’t the build of a traditional third baseman and that’s been manifested in his below-average arm strength. Perhaps that’s untenable at third base, though the Cubs could at least consider getting him some work at the hot corner to expand his defensive flexibility. It’s also at least worth contemplating whether Hoerner could kick to third base if Madrigal earns everyday playing time but isn’t capable of manning the left side of the infield.

The Cubs also picked up Zach McKinstry from the Dodgers in last summer’s Chris Martin trade. The 27-year-old has just a .208/.269/.384 line in 121 big league games over the last three years. He got 171 trips to the plate for the Cubs down the stretch, hitting .206/.272/.361. McKinstry has the ability to play second, third and both corner outfield spots and is a .323/.401/.550 hitter in parts of three Triple-A campaigns. He’s out of minor league option years and has to stick on the active roster or be taken off the 40-man entirely. Given his lack of big league track record, he could find himself on the bubble — particularly if the Cubs want to give Mastrobuoni a lengthier look instead.

There are a handful of players behind this group on the depth chart who’ll be in camp as non-roster invitees. Bote, Esteban Quiroz and Jared Young all remain in the organization after clearing waivers in November. Sergio Alcántara signed a minor league deal this offseason, while former second-round pick Chase Strumpf got an MLB invite after hitting .234/.379/.461 with Double-A Tennessee.

———————-

While there are a few candidates who could play their way into consideration, it’d appear the third base job will be a battle between Wisdom and Morel to open the year. Both have minor league options remaining. The former has a more established big league track record, while the latter probably has greater upside but might also be more likely to post untenable numbers on both sides of the ball. They’re broadly similar as right-handed power bats with OBP concerns, though Morel has a little more defensive versatility if he’s relegated to a utility role.

Quick Hits: Reds, Wheeler, Morel, Rays Ballpark

By Mark Polishuk | October 23, 2022 at 9:47pm CDT

The Reds had a longstanding interest in Zack Wheeler as both a trade target and then when the righty entered free agency in the 2019-20 offseason. Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer recently revisited that free agent pursuit, which ended when the Phillies signed Wheeler to a five-year, $118MM contract. According to Nightengale, the Reds were also willing to spend beyond $100MM to sign Wheeler, but they may have been undone by geography more than just dollars. Wheeler prioritized staying on the East Coast and closer to his wife’s home state of New Jersey, giving the Phils the edge over both the Reds and the White Sox (who reportedly offered more than $118MM).

Needless to say, signing Wheeler would’ve changed the entire trajectory of recent Reds history, not to mention the Phillies’ last three seasons and their current berth in the 2022 World Series. As Nightengale notes, the Reds went on to sign Nick Castellanos (for $64MM over four years) and Shogo Akiyama ($21MM over three years) after Wheeler left the market, and it isn’t known if either of those deals could’ve or would’ve still happened if Cincinnati had made its big investment in Wheeler’s contract.

Headlines

Christopher Morel

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect