Fantasy News

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Clobbers grand slam

  Rotowire Apr 10, 2024

  Morel went 2-for-4 with a grand slam during Tuesday's 5-1 win over San Diego. Morel launched his third homer of 2024 on Tuesday, tagging reliever Stephen Kolek for the grand slam on Kolek's first pitch out of the bullpen. The long ball was Morel's first grand slam of his career. He's now logged a hit in 10 of his 11 games this season and is slashing .326/.370/.605 with an excellent 10.9 percent strikeout rate across 46 plate appearances.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Goes deep in romp

  Rotowire Apr 2, 2024

  Morel went 1-for-4 with a walk, a solo home run and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 12-2 win over the Rockies. Morel went deep in the third inning as the Cubs piled on in the easy win. The 24-year-old now has two long balls across five games to go along with a robust 1.171 OPS. Whether he's playing at third base or serving as the DH, Morel will be in the lineup most days due to his powerful bat, and fantasy managers should reap the rewards.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Collects two hits

  Rotowire Apr 2, 2024

  Morel went 2-for-3 with a run scored during Monday's 5-0 victory over the Rockies. Despite the modest stat line, Morel's sixth-inning single with two-men on was the impetus for the Cubs' victory as a misplay by left-fielder Nolan Jones saw the ball roll all the way to the wall and allowed both runners to score. Jones then added a throwing error on the same play that allowed Morel to complete the little-league home run. Unfortunately, Morel did not get credited with an RBI on the play but it's been a solid start to the season for the Cubs' third-baseman. Through four games he's collected seven hits in 17 at-bats with a homer, three RBI and four runs scored.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Launches three-run homer in win

  Rotowire Mar 31, 2024

  Morel went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Sunday's 9-5 win over the Rangers. Morel got the show started for the Cubs, clubbing a three-run homer off Texas starter Jon Gray in the top of the first inning, giving Chicago an early 3-0 lead. The 24-year-old has opened the season red-hot, going 5-for-14 with a homer, a triple, three RBI and three runs scored.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Paces offense on Opening Day

  Rotowire Mar 28, 2024

  Morel went 2-for-5 with a triple and a run scored in Thursday's 4-3, 10-inning loss to the Rangers. Morel had a good game but almost had a great game, as he narrowly missed a grand slam on a long foul ball in the top of the 10th inning with the contest tied 3-3. The 24-year-old batted cleanup, and he should have the opportunity to post strong numbers this season from the middle of Chicago's lineup, particularly in the power department.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Starter at 3B won't be ST decision

  Rotowire Mar 4, 2024

  Cubs manager Craig Counsell said in an interview on MLB Network Radio on Monday that while he's been pleased with Morel's defensive work, the third base job is "not going to be solved in spring training." Morel is going to get an extended look at the hot corner and may very well be the long-term answer there, but Counsell doesn't plan to make that decision based on what happens in spring training. Worth noting is that Morel's chief competitors at the hot corner, Nick Madrigal (leg) and Patrick Wisdom (quad), are both banged up. Ultimately, Morel figures to garner plenty of at-bats, whether that's mostly at third base, designated hitter or bouncing around to many positions.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Starts spring with homer

  Rotowire Feb 24, 2024

  Morel went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Friday's Cactus League game against the White Sox. Morel started at third base, which is where he's slated to see most of his playing time, at least in the early going. The 24-year-old got off to a flying start in the power department last season and now has his spring campaign started on the right foot as well. If Morel sees regular time at the hot corner and can build on the positives from his 2023 campaign, a big 2024 could be in store.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: To focus on playing third base

  Rotowire Feb 17, 2024

  Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Saturday that he wants Morel to concentrate on playing third base to begin spring training, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Counsell remains open to Morel's role changing over time but emphasized giving Morel consistency from the beginning of camp. Morel played just five games at third base last season, with most of his starts coming between DH, the outfield and second base. A move to third base for Morel would likely spell fewer at-bats for Nick Madrigal while opening the door for Matt Mervis or Michael Busch to see opportunities at DH.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Super utility role likely

  Rotowire Jan 15, 2024

  Cubs manager Craig Counsell and general manager Carter Hawkins indicated Saturday that Morel will likely continue to be used in a super utility role rather than focusing on one position, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports. Morel has made starts at every position other than first base and catcher during his two seasons in the majors, and he began working out at the former position during winter ball. The 24-year-old hasn't been able to master any spot yet and was used almost exclusively at designated hitter in the second half. As things currently stand, the Cubs would seem to have openings in center field and at third base (as well as DH), positions Morel has played plenty. However, the club doesn't appear anxious to keep Morel at one spot. The good news is Morel's bat should still be in the lineup plenty. He slashed .247/.313/.508 with 26 home runs over 107 games in 2023.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Trying out first base

  Rotowire Nov 8, 2023

  Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Wednesday that Morel will play first base in winter ball, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports. Morel has never appeared in a game at first base at any level of professional ball, but the Cubs are hoping that he might take well to the position and be an option for them there in 2024. The 24-year-old was primarily used at designated hitter down the stretch in 2023 because his defense anywhere in the field proved to be too unreliable.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Blasts 26th home run

  Rotowire Oct 1, 2023

  Morel went 2-for-5 with a double, a solo home run and two runs scored in Saturday's win over the Brewers. Following up his 16-homer season as a rookie in 2022, Morel now has 26 home runs this year, and he's also boosted his batting average and OPS in his second MLB campaign. The 24-year-old has struck out more than 30 percent of the time in his first two seasons, however, which is something fantasy managers will want to see him improve upon moving forward.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Doubles, triples in loss

  Rotowire Sep 30, 2023

  Morel went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a triple and a run scored in Friday's loss to the Brewers. Morel was productive from the No. 8 spot in the lineup, but the Cubs as a whole mustered only six hits and three runs in the defeat. The 24-year-old has recorded 44 extra-base hits among his 92 total hits this year, including 25 home runs, boosting his OPS to a solid .809. He should have a few more chances to contribute before the regular season wraps up.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Not in lineup Thursday

  Rotowire Sep 28, 2023

  Morel is absent from the lineup Thursday at Atlanta. Jeimer Candelario will serve as the Cubs' designated hitter with Miles Mastrobuoni playing third base. Morel, who also sat Wednesday, has gone 3-for-26 (.115) with seven strikeouts over his last seven games.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Out of Wednesday's lineup

  Rotowire Sep 27, 2023

  Morel is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game in Atlanta. Morel will sit Wednesday while stuck in a 3-for-26 slump, though he did hit two solo homers during that stretch. Jeimer Candelario (back) is starting at first base in his return from the injured list while Miles Mastrobuoni mans the hot corner.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Goes deep again Saturday

  Rotowire Sep 24, 2023

  Morel went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's win over the Rockies. Morel is now up to 25 home runs this season, and he's been on a bit of a power surge recently, with five long balls over his last 11 games. However, the 24-year-old is batting just .217 during the stretch, which shows that he's often a boom or bust option in fantasy. Morel will need to cut down his strikeout rate, which is currently 31.4 percent, if he wants to make more consistent contact at the plate moving forward.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Absent from lineup

  Rotowire Sep 22, 2023

  Morel is not in the lineup for Friday's game versus the Rockies. Morel had started each of the last 10 games and homered four times during that span, but he'll take a seat for this one as the Cubs open up a weekend series against Colorado. Jared Young is in the designated hitter spot.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Goes deep Wednesday

  Rotowire Sep 20, 2023

  Morel went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 13-7 loss to the Pirates. Morel is now up to 24 home runs after hitting 16 long balls as a rookie last season. While it's a solid total, the 24-year-old did hit nine of them in his first 12 games of the year. Since then, Morel has 15 home runs in 89 games. For fantasy purposes, the youngster has been a good player to use during a hot streak, though he's still looking for more consistency at the plate, and he'll need to cut down on the strikeouts moving forward.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Goes yard in loss

  Rotowire Sep 16, 2023

  Morel went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 6-4 loss to the Diamondbacks. Morel has homered four times over his last eight games, adding seven RBI in that span. The 24-year-old's gotten back into form over the last week or so, which has in turn helped him stay in the lineup more regularly, though the Cubs have also faced southpaws in three of their last five games. For the year, Morel is slashing .248/.312/.504 with 23 homers, 67 RBI, 55 runs scored and four stolen bases over 96 games.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Slugs 22nd homer

  Rotowire Sep 12, 2023

  Morel went 1-for-5 with a solo home run Monday in a 5-4 win against Colorado. Morel connected for a mammoth 466-foot solo shot in the fifth inning to give the Cubs their first lead. It was the second straight game with a long ball for the slugger, and he's up to 22 homers over 365 plate appearances on the season. Morel isn't an everyday player due in part to his 32.1 percent strikeout rate, but he's a constant power threat when he's in the lineup as suggested by his 15.04 AB/HR.

  ... See More ... See Less

• Cubs' Christopher Morel: Triples, homers in win

  Rotowire Sep 10, 2023

  Morel went 2-for-4 with a triple and a solo home run in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Diamondbacks. Morel served as the DH and batted first, and he had a big impact on the game, launching his 21st home run of the season in the third inning. He also added just his second triple of the year. Morel had seen a dip in playing time recently, but with Jeimer Candelario (back) departing Sunday's contest early, there could be a bigger role available for the former in the near future.

  ... See More ... See Less