Why Trading Young Star Makes Sense for Cubs

The Chicago Cubs face many decisions this offseason and what they do with young Christopher Morel is one of them.

The Chicago Cubs have one of the best minor-league systems in baseball and it’s already bearing fruit at the Major League level.

That’s why, to some experts, the Cubs shouldn’t limit their offseason shopping list to trying to sign free agents. The Cubs may have enough ammunition to make a trade, too.

So far this offseason, no young Cubs player has drawn more attention in real and hypothetical trade scenarios that Christopher Morel.

In fact, earlier this week, MLB Trade Rumors actually conducted a poll asking readers what the Cubs should do.

The results of the poll don’t really matter as there is already chatter out there. For instance, last week ESPN reported that if the New York Mets dealt first baseman Pete Alonso to the Cubs, Morel would be a part of that deal.

Why is Morel such an intriguing trade piece? It’s all about his bat, per MLB Trade Rumors:

Morel is likely to be a divisive player around the league. He has huge raw power and connected on 26 home runs while slugging .508 in 107 games for the Cubs. The right-handed hitter owns a .241/.311/.471 line in just over 850 MLB plate appearances over the past two seasons. When he’s hot, he can carry a lineup.

Morel has only been in the Majors for two seasons, and an injury to Jason Heyward paved his way to Wrigley. The international signee is just 24 years old, isn’t arbitration eligible until 2026 and can’t be a free agent until 2029.

The power numbers alone make him a player other teams would be interested in acquiring.

The problem is Morel’s defense. His best position is center field, but that position likely belongs to their No. 1 prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong, who made his MLB debut in September.

Morel has bounced around the diamond and has played six of the nine positions on the field. He has a .970 fielding percentage. But his best non-center field positional fielding percentage is .989 at second base, but that position belongs to Nico Hoerner, who just won a Gold Glove.

With his glove being a liability, he was used primarily as a designated hitter in the latter stages of 2023 and … it worked.

He hit 26 home runs in 429 plate appearances. Only Aaron Judge, J.D. Martinez, Yordan Alvarez and Nolan Gorman did more with less.

So, yes, Morel is an attractive trade chip in spite of the defense. For a team trying to acquire him, it would make sense to either have an opening in center field or second base — which are his most natural positions — or to use him as a full-time DH because of his power.

What should the Cubs get in return? Well, certainly they wouldn’t turn down Alonso. But the return should be something that addresses a need — power at first base, power and defense at third base or a starting pitcher.

This is one of those cases where what keeps Morel from fitting with the Cubs allows him to fit somewhere else.