Bleacher Bums Forum

It will be a very a tough deal for Christopher Morel to become a strong defensive player, despite a great arm, plus speed and super fast-twitch muscles, when he's moving all over the field (at the MLB level).

Sure seems like Morel has more than enough talent and the work ethic to become a plus defender, but switching positions all the time at the highest level won't make that easier. 

My hope is Morel LIKES playing different positions and embraces the super-sub role, if that's what the Cubs want him to continue to do. 

Whatever, keep that kid and his 30+% strikeout rate in the lineup (but not at leadoff).  He's a force right now and he's gonna get better! 

Morel sure seems like someone Cubs should consider (and groom) to be a CORE player, wherever he plays on D!

You can always count on Jimi.

After watching Christopher Morel hammer 4 HRs in his 6 Cub games, Cody Bellinger said, "I've never seen balls hit like that - honestly."

"The Electric Show" will make some defensive blunders, while moving all over the field, and he will K a lot, certainly at age 23.

However, when pitchers make mistakes with him and they will, he will hit them.  Very hard!

Don't want to set the bar too high for Morel, but he sort of reminds me of Sammy, early in his Cub career.

Rios has earned the promotion.  His Batting average in Iowa is almost twice as high as it was with the Cubs.

Logic?

Guessing that Tauchman will be here for an extended period, but that Rios will be optioned back next week.

Tauchman has a role here as a lefty bat off the bench with some extra base punch who can play all three OF spots, unlike, say, Hosmer. Out of options, so doesn’t seem that Cubs bring him up only to maybe lose him soon thru waivers. Perhaps has an opt out date in contract if wasn’t up by date certain. Cubs probably want Velazquez playing most everyday (at Iowa) rather filling the OF/bench utility role that Tauchman will be filling. Makes sense.

Interesting that Cubs brought up Rios instead of extra bullpen arm. Cubs going with 12 pitchers at moment——until Hendricks comes back to replace a position player.

FWIW in a very small sample size (10 games) advanced metrics have him as about average defensively.


He also has 18 Ks in 45 PAs.

Thanks, guys.  reb, my feeling is that sometimes when a guy is prohibitively bad, that the eye test can sometimes see he looks awful/stiff/klutzy/range-less right away?  If we need 4 months of saber data to evaluate, that might suggest he's got at least a chance to be anti-awful?