Tampa Bay DFA's Christopher Morel, creating an opportunity for his former club. The Cubs could reclaim their fan-favorite slugger's potent bat and versatility.
The Tampa Bay Rays made a shocking move on Tuesday evening, designating Christopher Morel for assignment.
This comes just one and a half months after the Rays acquired him from the Chicago Cubs in the Isaac Paredes deal at the 2024 Trade Deadline. The Rays removed Morel from their 40-man roster, and he now has to either be traded or placed on waivers within seven days.
Morel wasn’t a key part of Tampa Bay’s lineup last season, as his 305 plate appearances marked a career low. He also turned into a platoon player down the stretch, mostly seeing at-bats only against left-handed pitchers.
However, the Cubs should absolutely put in a claim for the 26-year-old utility specialist.
Morel became a fan favorite in his short time in the Windy City. He launched a towering home run in his Major League debut with the Cubs in 2022 and posted solid offensive numbers in his second season in 2023.
The Dominican Republic native hit .247 with 26 home runs, 17 doubles, 70 RBI, and six stolen bases across 107 games during that 2023 campaign. Then, Morel hit another 18 home runs with the Cubs across 103 games in 2024 before getting traded at the deadline.
That type of power is something the Cubs could use on their bench. The team didn’t really have a strong bench last year, with players like Willi Castro, Jon Berti, Carlos Santana, Justin Turner, Reese McGuire, and Vidal Brujan all occupying the reserve spots throughout the year.
Morel would be an upgrade over all those players on Chicago’s bench next season. Therefore, putting in a claim for Morel should be an easy decision for the front office.
Even though his overall numbers weren’t the best this past season (.219 batting average with 11 home runs), his metrics continue to back up his power potential. His 91.8 mph average exit velocity, 14.8% barrel rate, 49.7% hard-hit rate, and 76 mph bat speed all ranked in the upper half of the league in 2025.
With that familiarity with the Cubs organization, there’s a chance the front office will try to get Morel back. They signed him from the Dominican Republic back in 2015, and he provided some solid numbers in his short time with Chicago.
Morel would also give the Cubs some depth at several positions. He could back up Matt Shaw at third base and has experience playing in the outfield as well. That position flexibility, mixed with his above-average power, makes him a nice target for Chicago's bench.
As a result, a reunion between the Cubs and Morel is certainly possible.