From the day the 2023 season concluded, the Chicago Cubs believed Christopher Morel had the future of third base in his hands. He was said to have put time into working on his defense during the offseason and was extensively tested there during spring training. When Opening Day came along, he was named the starter. The responsibility was his to take and run with.
Unfortunately, it has not panned out that way thus far. The errors came immediately, almost at an error-per-game rate in the first week. To Morel's credit, there is no doubt he has been putting in the effort to improve himself. Unfortunately, it just isn't working. It's also costing the Cubs.
The latest example of how bad it can get came Tuesday night against the Chicago White Sox. With Shota Imanaga on the mound, the Cubs faced a two-on, no-out situation. Morel botched a hopper that should have been a double play. Instead, it went off his foot and out of play, allowing a run to score and putting two men in scoring position. After a pop-up that could have (should have) been the third out, the Sox scored four more runs. Just like that, the Cubs were down 5-0 due to two home runs and Morel's colossal error.
Granted, Morel later homered to contribute to the comeback win. However, it's becoming increasingly more apparent that is the limit of his contribution to this team. He's a liability defensively and batting just .203 offensively. Many attribute his lack of offensive contribution to lousy luck and expect things to turn around soon. However, the Cubs are beginning to realize that the defensive future of third base may need to be addressed.
Cubs Being Vague But Seem To Know Change Is Needed At Third Base
Cubs Manager Craig Counsell addressed the media on Wednesday and talked about Christopher Morel at third base. He acknowledged the work Morel has put in to improve his defense, but he also noted that sometimes his steps forward come back. Counsell believes that as the sample size grows, they can evaluate more.
As far as third base options are concerned, Patrick Wisdom is healthy and on the roster, and the Cubs have brought David Bote back up to the majors from AAA Iowa. Michael Busch was brought through the Los Angeles Dodgers system as a third baseman, and Counsell said that this was discussed as a possibility but improbable at this point. Another name to remember is AA Tennessee Smokies third baseman Matt Shaw.
Shaw was drafted by the Cubs just last season and is rapidly making his way through the system. He is tactical at the plate offensively and is an average-plus fielder defensively. Though he struggled hitting at the beginning of the season, his year is quickly turning around as of late. He is a name to remember as time goes on.
One-third of the season seems like a large enough sample size to realize that the defense at third base has been subpar in 2024. This is a position the Cubs have been unable to fill consistently since the later days of Kris Bryant being around. Remember that the short-term solution could also be found in the trade market. If the Cubs are swinging for the fences, there's a rental down in Houston by the name of Alex Bregman that could make a massive impact on the outlook of this team. That could be unrealistic, given who makes the decisions around here.
