3 reasons why Christopher Morel should start at 3rd base every day

Chicago Cubs manager David Ross has not been keen on starting Christopher Morel at third base recently. Since he was called up from Iowa in early May, Morel has either been the designated hitter or filled in the outfield while Cody Bellinger has been hurt. He has yet to start a game at third base, which is exactly where he should be playing every day. Unfortunately, Ross is keen on turning in head-scratching lineups where Miles Mastrobuoni starts at third and Morel in the outfield. Here are three reasons why third base should be Christopher Morel's position until further notice.

1. Third base is open

The main reason Morel should get regular reps at third is that every other position is blocked out long-term. Shortstop (Dansby Swanson), second base (Nico Hoerner), right field (Ian Happ) and left field (Seiya Suzuki) all have players locked into long-term contracts. First base has been given over to a Trey Mancini and Matt Mervis platoon while Cody Bellinger will play center field in 2023 until top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong makes his way to MLB. That leaves third base as the only home for Morel in the future despite the presence of Patrick Wisdom on the roster.

Yes, Wisdom is a better defensive third baseman than Morel and he is leading the team in home runs, however, it wasn't long ago that Wisdom's defense was average at best. He took the time to improve that skill because he knew he would be playing there every day. However, now that Morel has returned and shown that his bat needs to be in the lineup, Wisdom should be shifted to the primary DH so Morel can settle in at third.

There has been plenty of criticism of Morel's defense at the many positions he plays which is warranted most of the time. But if you truly want him to be a mainstay in this lineup, keeping him at one position is the best move for the future of the Cubs. Ian Happ used to be thought of as an average defender until he was given left field every day, which opened a path for him to improve not only his defense (gold glove winner in 2022), but his offense as well. Now Happ is one of the most consistent hitters on the team and even he credits that to playing every day.