Chicago Cubs GM Carter Hawkins speaks on Matt Mervis and Christopher Morel debate

The question of when will the Chicago Cubs promote first baseman Matt Mervis and utility player Christopher Morel from Triple-A Iowa has reached a point to where it has become a daily debate.

Various reports have emerged in recent weeks as to why the Cubs have not promoted Mervis or Morel yet but while speaking with Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, Cubs' general manager Carter Hawkins offered his opinion of the pending promotions.

"“In my experience, players kind of hit you over the head with it over time. You start having the conversations. They get into the picture, and then you find yourself having that conversation every day. At some point, it becomes obvious. There are obviously some guys down in Triple A right now that are pretty hard to ignore. We’re talking about that every day, what’s best for them and what’s best for the Cubs.”"

Carter Hawkins via The Athletic

It goes without saying that both Morel and Mervis are hitting the Cubs over the head.

Through his first 108 plate appearances with the Iowa Cubs this season, Morel is slashing .363/.463/.835 with 11 home runs and a 219 wRC+.

Meanwhile, Mervis is slashing .295/.407/.580 through 108 plate appearances this season with 6 home runs and a 146 wRC+.

It seems rather clear that both Morel and Mervis are at the point where the Cubs should be forced to make the decision of promoting them to the Major League level. Though, the team continues to push a narrative around veteran Eric Hosmer and the idea of depth.

"The issue with potentially moving on from Hosmer (.674 OPS) isn’t disrupting the clubhouse vibes as much as burning through major-league depth too early in the season and getting caught short-handed."

Patrick Mooney via The Athletic

The idea of Hosmer being mentioned in the same sentence of depth is comedic considering the only position that he is capable of playing is first base. Not including Mervis, the Cubs already have three players on the Major League roster in Patrick Wisdom, Edwin Rios, and Trey Mancini that can play first base. There is no need for the Cubs to feel if they would be burning through their depth by Mervis taking over Hosmer's roster spot.

Furthermore, in the case of Morel, he is able of playing every position on the field with the exception of first base and catcher. Once again, there is no threat of the Cubs "burning through their Major-League depth". As the days continue to pass and the debate lingers on, the only logical answer is for the team to promote both Mervis and Morel.

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