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
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There are also some major flaws in his game that made it virtually impossible for a team operating on a budget the size that Tampa Bay does to retain him.
“While it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a team try to unlock the upside Morel flashed with the Cubs early in his career, given his youth and three years of remaining team control, his lack of defensive ability could make him a tough fit for many teams,” wrote Nick Deeds of MLB Trade Rumors.
The power potential is part of what made Morel such an attractive trade target for the Rays, but it didn’t travel with him to Tampa Bay. In 154 games and 495 plate appearances, he had an OPS+ of 78 and an OPS of .638.
That was a significant drop from what he produced with the Cubs, where he had a 106 OPS+ and .747 OPS. It was a worthwhile risk for the Rays to take, potentially getting an affordable source of power production, but things didn’t work out.
Defense is major issue for Christopher Morel
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The only area of the game in which Morel made a positive impact in 2025 was as a base runner, where his +1 Baserunning Run Value was the only metric above the league average.
He was a detriment defensively, registering a Fielding Run Value of -6. In 70 games and 483.2 defensive innings, he had -4 Defensive Runs Saved, failing to make an impact while registering all but 15 innings in left field.
The lack of defensive versatility is something that will always hold him back. But there was enough shown previously with the bat that another team will likely give him a shot, even if it is just as a bench player.
That team, almost certainly, won’t be Tampa Bay. It is hard to envision them bringing him back in the same fashion as Jake Fraley has.
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