The Tampa Bay Rays began their much-needed reshaping of the outfield when they announced that Christopher Morel was designated for assignment, and then they decided to non-tender him.
It ends what was a surprisingly disastrous tenure with the franchise. Morel was the centerpiece of the trade package from the Chicago Cubs in the Isaac Paredes deal ahead of the MLB trade deadline in 2024.
He showcased incredible power potential during his time with the Cubs, producing an OPS+ of 106. In 2023, he had an impressive 122 OPS+ with 26 home runs in only 429 plate appearances.
A .247/.313/.508 slash line was produced, looking like Morel had a bright future. It was a worthwhile risk for the Rays to take, looking to upgrade a weakness in their outfield.
Guardians named potential suitor for Christopher Morel
Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out in Tampa Bay, and now he is looking for his next franchise. One team that could show an interest in him, in the opinion of Tim Stebbins of MLB.com, is the Cleveland Guardians.
He is still very young, not turning 27 years old until June 24. Any franchise that adds him will still have him under team control for three more years, which is enticing to a small-market club that isn’t going to spend big money in free agency.
There are some positives to his swing profile, such as his average bat speed. Morel swings at an average of 76 mph, which is 13th amongst players who had at least 500 competitive swings last year.
Several of his underlying metrics hint that a turnaround could be on the horizon, and his breakout campaign was only two years ago. He is also a right-handed hitter, something that the Guardians are lacking from their outfielders.
On their 40-man roster, only two players in the positional group, Jhonkensy Noel and Johnathan RodrÃguez, hit from that side of the plate.
Do pros outweigh the cons for Morel to Guardians?
John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
However, there are some concerning holes in his game that teams will be wary of. Morel swings hard, but he didn’t make as much contact as the Rays had hoped during his tenure with the franchise.
He struck out a staggering 35.7% of his plate appearances in 2025, and his walk rate has decreased from his time with the Cubs.
There is also the issue of where to play him defensively. He has not made an impact with the glove as a Big Leaguer, producing a -6 Fielding Run Value, -5 Outs Above Average and -4 Defensive Runs Saved in 2025, most of which was done in left field.Â
At the very least, Morel does possess a strong arm, which some teams could view as a positive asset worth adding to the roster.
Cleveland could very well look to bring him in, especially if they end up trading Steven Kwan and creating an opening in left field. His power potential is legit, and a chance to play more consistently could help him iron out some of his other shortcomings.
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