Biography
Christopher Rafael Morel (born June 24, 1999) is a Dominican professional baseball utility player for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs. Morel signed with the Cubs as an international free agent in 2015, and made his MLB debut with them in 2022.
Professional career
Chicago Cubs
Minor leagues (2017–2021)
Morel signed with the Chicago Cubs as an international free agent on August 23, 2015. In 2017, he was assigned to the Cubs team of the Dominican Summer League. In 61 games, he slashed .220/.332/.359 with seven home runs, 40 runs batted in (RBI), 44 runs scored, and 23 stolen bases. He spent the 2018 season with Low–A Eugene Emeralds, and Rookie League AZL Cubs. In 54 games, he batted .216 with 44 hits, 8 doubles and 3 home runs. He spent the 2019 season with the A-level South Bend Cubs. In 73 games, he batted .284, with 73 hits, 15 doubles, 7 triples, and 6 home runs.
He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cubs added Morel to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft on November 20, 2020. He spent the 2021 season with the Double-A Tennessee Smokies, and Triple-A Iowa Cubs. In 111 games, he batted .223 with 90 hits, 18 doubles, 5 triples, and a career-high 18 home runs.
Major leagues (2022–2024)
Morel started the 2022 season with Double-A Tennessee but was recalled to the major leagues on May 17. Morel made his major league debut later that day, and hit a home run in his first career at-bat during a 7–0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Morel appeared in 113 games for the Cubs in his rookie campaign, slashing .235/.308/.433 with 16 home runs, 47 runs batted in (RBI), and 10 stolen bases.
The Cubs optioned Morel to Triple-A Iowa to begin the 2023 season. They promoted him to the major leagues on May 8, 2023, after he batted .330/.425/.730 with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs over 29 games. Upon his promotion, Morel became the first Cub in franchise history to record nine home runs in his first 12 games of a season on May 23, 2023. In 107 games for the Cubs, he slashed .247/.313/.508 with 26 home runs and 70 RBI.
Morel made 103 appearances for Chicago in 2024, hitting .199/.302/.373 with 18 home runs, 57 RBI, and 7 stolen bases.
Tampa Bay Rays (2024–present)
On July 28, 2024, the Cubs traded Morel, Hunter Bigge, and Ty Johnson to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Isaac Paredes.
In 49 games for Tampa Bay in 2024, Morel batted .191/.258/.289 with 3 home runs and 9 RBI. His combined batting average of .196 was the worst in the major leagues.
Personal life
Morel's brother, Rafael, plays with the Cubs organization. He is currently assigned to the South Bend Cubs.