2024 Cubs Season Projections: Madrigal, Morel, Shaw |
After about three weeks of little to no movement in Cubs camp, Jed Hoyer was very active Monday night, but in the way the Cubs fans would like. Hoyer added three players to the Cubs roster, all on minor league deals, with two coming in the form of David Peralta and Dom Smith. Both are veteran lefties who can provide depth at their respective positions while also providing some pop from that side of the plate.
Adding those players was a nice addition for depth purposes, but it is far from the problem the Cubs still face. Third base was an issue entering the offseason, and with guys like Justin Turner and Matt Chapman on the market, it would've been nice for the Cubs to fill that void with one of those guys. While Turner has officially signed with the Blue Jays, Chapman remains an option, but being a Scott Boras client, it doesn't appear any deal is coming. If that is the case, the Cubs will have to look from within for third base options, and although those options may be unorthodox, the Cubs have a plan as Nick Madrigal and Christopher Morel are expected to split time at third. Whether or not either of them can claim the starting job remains to be seen, but at least Craig Counsell can head into spring knowing who is competing for that spot. Nick Madrigal: Say what you want about Madrigal and his tenure with the Cubs, but he did prove he can play third last season. After an injury plaqued 2022 that saw Madrigal struggle from day one, the Cubs forced him to try third base last season if he wanted to remain on the team. Not the strongest when it comes to throwing arms, Madrigal did a phenomenal job defensively at the hot corner and made all the plays and then some. Had he not gotten hurt midseason and then again late in the year, he may have qualified for gold glove status, which is telling by the amount of work he put in. Offensively, he remains what you would call less than appealing as his slap-happy contact approach leads to a ton of singles and very little strikeout and walk numbers. He managed to hit his first two homers last season, but with an average of around .270, he is still more than 30 points lower than his White Sox days, which frustrates fans. Prediction: 104 games, .282 average, one home run, 25 RBIs, and 14 steals
Madrigal will see time one way or another this season, and it will be up to him to make the most of that time. At one time, Madrigal was viewed as a potential leadoff type of bat mainly due to his high-contact approach. Now, he is the No. Eight or No. Nine hitter in this lineup whose goal is to extend an inning to get back to the top of the lineup. Should he continue to play great defense, the Cubs are more than content to trot him out there right now.
Christopher Morel: At long last, we have some clarity on Morel and where he will be playing this season, as Counsell announced he will spend most of his time at third this spring. From there, it all comes down to his ability to play that position, which could dictate his future with this team.
As things stand, his bat is more than MLB-ready at this point, and he needs to be in the lineup every day. However, not having a true position has prevented him from being that everyday guy, which is what Counsell aims to do this season. It will be far from perfect this year, but should he even become average at third, the Cubs dodged a bullet by not adding a guy like Chapman and blocking Morel for longer.
Prediction: 129 games, .257 average, 31 home runs, and 89 RBIs
Like Madrigal, Morel will play a ton this season, even if it means splitting time between DH and 3B. His bat has the potential to be the best power bat on this team, but his overall approach and high strikeout rate are a concern. Either way, his limited action production last season earned the attention of everyone around the league as we patiently await to see how good this kid can become.
While those may be the Cubs two options as of now, neither of them is the long-term option. That appears to be set for Matt Shaw, who will be spending his time at 3B this season after being drafted as a 2B last season. After making the lead to AA last season, look for Shaw to see more time in AA before jumping to AAA. Once there, the clock will start ticking as he could be the opening day 3B by 2025 if all goes right.
