Christopher

Morel

The deal is now official. Morel arrives in Miami with the expectation that he’ll take over as their starting first baseman entering next season. The 26-year-old possesses an interesting blend of talent and raw power but he’s struck out just a shade over 30 percent of the time in 1,770 plate appearances in the majors since 2022. He struggled to an underwhelming .208/.277/.355 slash line with 11 homers and seven steals over 105 games this past season for the Rays. He’s the textbook definition of a low-probability lottery ticket for Miami as they search for a solution at the cold corner.

Heyman is the first to report the financial terms of the agreement, which surfaced earlier this week. The move comes as a bit of a surprise since the Marlins are bringing Morel in with the expectation that he’ll play first base next season, something he hasn’t done before. The 26-year-old possesses an interesting blend of talent and raw power but he’s struck out just a shade over 30 percent of the time in 1,770 plate appearances in the majors since 2022. He’s the textbook definition of a low-probability lottery ticket for Miami as they search for a solution at the cold corner.

Ken Rosenthal notes that the expectation is that he will play first base in 2026. Morel was non-tendered by the Rays after slashing just .208/.277/.355 over 154 games in Tampa Bay. The 26-year-old will have a chance to earn consistent playing time with Miami and offers some power upside, but there’s more risk than reward in his profile.

Morel was ineffective in 2025 with a slash of .208/.277/.355 over 154 games with Tampa Bay. The 26-year-old will likely have interest on the free-agent market because of his power, but it’s hard to imagine more than a one-year “prove it” deal.

Morel gets the boot from Tampa Bay’s roster after hitting just .208/.277/.355 with 14 homers and eight steals in 154 games since coming over from the Cubs at the trade deadline back in 2024 as the primary return for Isaac Paredes. There’s going to be another organization out there willing to gamble on the 26-year-old former top prospect as a reclamation project.

He’s day-to-day, but anything could be a season-ender at this point. Hunter Feduccia replaced him at DH against the Orioles. Christopher Morel, who was already starting against a lefty today, could get extra starts at DH this weekend if Díaz is out.

With left-hander Cade Povich starting for the Orioles, the Rays will bench their three main left-handed-hitting starters. Everson Pereira will start in center field and bat eighth, Richie Palacios will start at second base and bat fifth, and Christopher Morel will start in left field and bat cleanup.

Morel got the Rays on the board first in this one with a two-run double off of Connelly Early in the home half of the first inning. He added a two-run single in the eighth inning that pushed the Rays’ advantage to 6-3. It has been a rough season overall for the 26-year-old slugger, slashing a woeful .223/.292/.401 with 11 homers, 31 RBI and seven stolen bases in 295 plate appearances.

Morel sustained the injury when he was struck by a foul ball. It doesn’t sound like anything that should lead to an extended absence, so the 26-year-old slugger should be considered day-to-day.

In his first game back at Wrigley Field as an opposing player, Morel blasted an 0-1 fastball from Matthew Boyd for a 383-foot (107.4 mph EV) three-run blast that gave the Rays an early lead before an out had even been recorded. That would be his only hit in four at-bats on the day. For the season, the 26-year-old slugger is hitting a disappointing .225/.290/.411 with 11 homers, 27 RBI, seven stolen bases and a 100/21 K/BB ratio in 276 plate appearances.