The Tampa Bay Rays made a bold decision when they traded third baseman Isaac Paredes to the Chicago Cubs ahead of the MLB trade deadline in 2024.
He was named an All-Star that year and still had multiple seasons of team control. However, the Rays opted to move him, thinking highly enough of Christopher Morel to make him the centerpiece of their return package.
Unfortunately, that was a trade that Tampa Bay lost decisively. Morel was designated for assignment this offseason and eventually non-tendered a contract, making him a free agent.
It was a disappointing end to what turned out to be an underwhelming tenure. Not yet in his prime, it was a bit of a surprise to see the Rays decide to move on from him this offseason, but the production was no longer matching the salary he was projected to make in arbitration.
Rays could not afford Christopher Morel at his level of production