2024 Role Starting to Come into Focus For Chicago Cubs' Slugger
On Friday, the Chicago Cubs made a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, acquiring prospect Michael Busch.
We learned that the Cubs plan to use Busch at first base this season, which begged the question: What are they planning on doing with Christopher Morel, who we had heard was going to work out at first base this winter with the hopes of locking the position down?
Now, we have some answers on the Morel front, per the Chicago Tribune:
“We’re going to have to at some point decide where we focus a lot of the work on with Christopher,” manager Craig Counsell said Saturday. “And we might get that wrong at the start, but his versatility is something that is going to get him on the field that I think gives the team a floor if that makes sense, like where if something doesn’t go the way you want it or maybe the way you planned it originally that you can make an adjustment and have a lot of options there.
“That’s what versatile players do and that’s what I think Christopher is going to do for the Cubs.”
So, the team is going to plan to use Morel all over the diamond still. They currently have an opening at third base after seeing Jeimer Candelario depart in free agency, and in center field with Cody Bellinger currently a free agent. Bellinger could still return, however.
The 24-year-old Morel hit 26 home runs for the Northsiders in 2023. He drove in 70 runs and hit .247.
Chicago went 83-79 and finished second in the National League Central last season.
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