Cubs Could Entertain Trading Their Star Slugger

The Chicago Cubs have multiple things to work through this offseason. Trading away one of their star sluggers could be on the table as they look to upgrade their roster.

There are tons of directions that the front office could take the Chicago Cubs this offseason. They are looking for upgrades that will get this team into the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

The most pressing piece of their puzzle will be the ability to retain Cody Bellinger when he hits the open market during free agency.

That won't be decided for a while and ultimately might not even come to fruition depending on what super agent Scott Boras will be asking for his client.

So, in the meantime, there are other areas that Jed Hoyer and his front office are evaluating before heading into the 2024 season.

One of the evaluations will be what to do with their star slugger Christopher Morel.

The 24-year-old had a breakout year during his second season with the Cubs.

In 107 games, Morel had a slash line of .247/.313/.508 with 26 home runs and 70 RBI, all career best numbers.

He provided big power output for the lineup, prompting Hoyer to say, "He’s dangerous. We didn’t have a lot of guys in the lineup that could change the score that quickly."

But, he also strikes out at a rate 39 percent above league average and has a low contact rate.

Questions about where to play him defensively also permeate with him not looking comfortable at third base, which is a major need of Chicago.

Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic thinks that the front office could look to trade him this offseason while his value is at its peak.

"Because of the Cubs’ lack of established power on the roster, trading Morel is a risk. But it also might make the most sense for them when assessing his value on the market. A team willing to figure out a specific position — he looked capable at second in 390 innings of work over the past two seasons — could make a move worth it for the Cubs," he writes.

Morel could also be brought back as their full time designated hitter, something that he did for 61 games.

He certainly is an intriguing part of this roster.

Whether he is back in a Cubs uniform next season or is used as a trade piece during the offseason is something to monitor.