Young Cubs Star Worth Being on Phillies' Trade Radar

The Philadelphia Phillies don't need this deal right now, but it's worth tracking if two important things happen.

On paper, the Philadelphia Phillies look set in the outfield.

It’s a strong group, even without Bryce Harper, who is now expected to be the Phillies’ first baseman.

Nick Castellanos, Jake Cave, Brandon Marsh, Cristian Pache, Johan Rojas and Kyle Schwarber give the Phillies more than enough talent in the outfield — even if you subtract Schwarber, who is likely to continue as the Phillies’ everyday DH.

But that doesn’t mean you stop looking for talent or stop trying to get better, especially if there’s a team out there with a talented player that doesn’t really have a home.

Enter Christopher Morel.

The Chicago Cubs outfielder is two years into his MLB career and in spite of his raw power — he hit 26 home runs in 429 plate appearances last season — he doesn’t have a firm position with the Cubs.

His best position is center field, which belongs to the Cubs’ No. 1 prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong. His best infield position is second base, where Nico Hoerner isn’t going anywhere.

The Cubs are entertaining the thought of playing him at first base in Spring Training. But they’re also reportedly interested in trading for New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso. Last season Morel did more time at DH than in the field.

Reportedly, if the Cubs move that direction Morel would be a part of the trade.

The reason you deal for Morel is that power. In two MLB seasons he has 42 home runs. He’s a potential 30-home run player, especially if he can reduce his strikeouts.

But the Phillies don’t have the room — at least at the moment. The Phillies shouldn’t rip up the offseason playbook to acquire Morel — who is under team control until 2029.

But, if these two things happen, it’s worth considering.

First, the Phillies would have to trade Castellanos, something that has been reported as a possibility. In spite of his status as a fan favorite, the Phillies may be looking to unload his contract, which pays him $60 million over the next three years. Entering his age 32 season, the Phillies may want to get ahead of the curve if they’re concerned age is an issue.

Castellanos hit 29 home runs last season. He doesn’t seem to be showing signs of slowing down.

If the Phillies don’t trade Castellanos, then a move for Morel doesn’t make sense. But if the Phillies move him, then there’s a second thing that has to happen — the Phillies must have a lack of faith in the development of Rojas.

The rookie center fielder had a solid debut for Philly, batting .302 in 149 at-bats. He also provided the Phillies quality defense. If there are concerns, they are things that can be fixed. He only drew five walks and struck out nearly 25 percent of the time. He also doesn’t bring much pop — he hit just two home runs.

He also had an awful postseason, batting .093 in 43 at-bats. That’s a concerning lack of production for a player who played in every game.

Now, Rojas was a rookie. A back-slide in the postseason wasn’t out of the question. But his strikeout rate went up and his walk rate went down.

The Phillies would have to either overreact to Rojas’ postseason performance or see something in his make-up that leads them to believe that he doesn’t have a long-term future in Philly.

If those two things happen, then Morel’s team control, his glove and his power make him an attractive low-level trade option for the Phillies.