The Cubs are aware that Christopher Morel, a young slugger, will inevitably make mistakes at third base as they strive to maximize his skill set.
The Chicago Cubs are aware that, as a young great hitter, they will make errors in defense. The Chicago Cubs were said to be interested in trading Christopher Morel during the offseason. His worth in the league was probably at an all-time high after he crushed 26 home runs in 2023.Since he doesn’t have a fixed location, Morel can find it difficult to obtain time despite the power surge.
He has experience playing all outfield positions as well as shortstop, second, and third base. But in 61 of the 107 games he participated in the previous season, he was the team’s designated hitter.A lot of people anticipate that he will start the season at third base.Since third base is the only infield position without a designated starter as of right now, it makes sense to use him there.
New difficulties follow, something that has already caused problems throughout spring training. Manager Craig Counsell, according to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, isn’t too concerned about Morel’s blunders in the hot corner. “I want action, balls hit you,” Counsell said.
For Chicago and Morel, getting reps at third base is crucial. The Cubs want Morel to secure a starting position for the whole of the season, and they don’t want to open the season with a third baseman who is incapable of making routine plays.
Making mistakes is inevitable when the Cubs work to fully use Christopher Morel’s skill set.
In Wednesday’s Cactus League game against the Los Angeles Angels, early in the third inning, Christopher Morel collected himself and retrieved a groundball at third base with ease. Before airmailing a throw over the head of the first baseman, the athletic Chicago Cubs infielder stopped, hopped towards first, double-clutched, and then took another hop.
The series of events was typical of what occurs when Morel throws something incorrectly. He can begin to take more steps than just one and then throw. And his arm drops instead of sticking close to his ear as the steps widen, and the ball launches.
Cubs infield coach Jonathan Mota stated, “You just want the players to digest what just happened after a mistake like that.” I said, “Hey, you’re all right,” on Wednesday. Another one is about to arrive. Tell me what you got, I said that Thursday morning. I simply listen to him in order to see what thoughts he is having.
Morel said to Mota that the ball slipped out of his grasp because he was just getting ready to toss it hard. Although he is aware that he didn’t have to do it, things don’t always work out as planned.
According to Mota, “there are some footwork issues, and sometimes his arm actions get too big.” It’s a topic we discuss daily. He recognizes his body. He is aware of his strengths. When something doesn’t feel right, he knows it.
Manager Craig Counsell had stated earlier in the day that he wanted to see Morel make mistakes because “you learn from mistakes.” This was before the throwing lapse. The Cubs have been stressing lately that Morel needs to concentrate on playing one position rather than being versatile because they need his bat in the order.
Third base is the most sensible position, given the structure of the squad. Morel needs as many repetitions during a game as possible; hence, Counsell is willing to accept the drawbacks if they help the player advance.
Counsell yelled, “I want action, balls hit you.” “I’m cheering for that team in the game. We aim to hit Christopher Morel with a lot of balls. From that vantage point, he is doing that every morning on the field.
In addition to inconsistent arm and footwork, Morel hasn’t always had a good read on the ball when it comes off the bat. Hence, gaining repetitions can aid in his development of that intuitive read. The journey there will take some time. Errors will occur. It is both essential and natural.
Everyone who has worked with Morel agrees that he has a strong work ethic. He can be coached, and it’s enjoyable to support him because of his enthusiasm. The prospects are enticing because of the athleticism.
With 42 home runs and a 114 wRC+ over the past two seasons, Morel has impressed the Cubs with his offensive ability. However, given his exceptional athleticism, there has been a perception inside the team that placing him at DH isn’t making the most of his abilities.
No matter how hard he works, Morel isn’t a hulking power hitter who would be a clear defensive liability. Of all the players on the pitch, Morel is the most gifted. The Cubs’ task is to capitalize on that ability and assist him in developing into a valuable all-around player.
“He shares our high standards for him,” Mota remarked. However, blunders will inevitably occur. All we have to do is move on. Keep him centered between the ears, above anything else. He did a fantastic job with that.
Controlling his emotions and being cognizant of the game scenarios are two aspects of Morel’s stated effort to establish consistency. Moving about the field can provide certain challenges, he acknowledged. Some noted that his irregular body motions in the latter part of his minor-league career, due to a lack of continuous playing time in the infield, affected his third-base throwing technique.
In actuality, Morel wasn’t quite ready for the major leagues when he got there. His bat propelled him to the major leagues, but because of his potent offensive arsenal, it also somewhat worked against him. He was simply too valuable at the plate to be returned to the minors and given the necessary time to develop as a third baseman.
However, it’s reasonable to question whether the Cubs mishandled his growth. Rather than waiting until closer to camp to make the decision, they could have pushed for Morel to devote his whole offseason to playing third base. In the Dominican Republic, Morel played winter ball and had time at third. However, the Cubs initially hoped he would gain more playing time. It fits significantly better this spring after Michael Busch was acquired in January.
Ideally, the position move would have taken place following the 2022 season. However, it was evident that Morel was far behind Nick Madrigal and Patrick Wisdom at third when he arrived at camp last spring. As a result, Madrigal received more work than Morel at the post.
It could also be argued that the Cubs could have chosen to let Morel take his lumps at third when he pushed his way onto the squad with his powerful hitting. However, the coaching staff was aware that the team’s strength was defense. They felt that by concentrating their off-season efforts on strengthening their middle lineup, they would be able to win. The coaches were concerned that all the hard work they had done to assemble a formidable defensive team would be undone by starting Morel at third and letting him learn on the job.
Perhaps that wasn’t the best course of action for Morel’s growth. However, that is irreversible. What the Cubs can do right now to assist Morel in recovering must be the main focus.”The moment is what we control,” Mota declared. “Right now, our feet are here. He is aware of that.
Those who work with Morel or have worked with him in the past agree that he possesses certain attributes that make this experiment worthwhile. Despite his shortcomings on defense, he is the only player the Cubs have that can lay out down the line and hit a ball 95 mph over the diamond.
There are times when the skill is obvious. When Morel played shortstop in the season’s penultimate game, coaches recognized a kid who had made genuine progress in a number of areas. The mechanics had improved, the reads were better, and the instincts had sharpened.
His work exhibits consistency. Finding consistency on the field is the next phase. According to Mota, “he’s doing a good job understanding his body.” He is bombarding his teammates with inquiries. He has developed and grown. He is aware that the major league game moves a little quicker than it does in the minors. The biggest change I’ve noticed about him is that.