2023 Season Report Cards: Third Base |
Anytime you go through five different third basemen throughout an MLB season, you know you have a problem. That is the situation the Cubs have been put in for the better part of three seasons, as they haven't been able to address the hot corner, putting their roster in a tough spot.
Ever since trading away Kris Bryant, this team has been searching for a 3B, but more so searching for someone to come through consistently. The Cubs have had multiple players occupy the hot corner for an extended period, but after their success started to fade, they made the move to go with someone else. It's a nice thought process, but that isn't how baseball works, as players need to be allowed to try and battle their way out of slumps. Looking at the offseason ahead, look for the Cubs to address the 3B hole, and Matt Chapman appears to be the name that everyone is circling in on. For now, here are the grades that came from the hot corner this season.
What else is there to say about Wisdom at this point? Three years in the Cubs organization, and this is your classic home run or bust player, as Wisdom ranks near the top in homers per at-bat, but also near the top with a 40% strikeout rate. Given his power potential, you have to play him at the worst against lefties, but his high strikeout numbers are making him a liability, and the Cubs will have to move on from him. Since joining the Cubs, Wisdom has hit at least 23 homers every season, including 23 again. However, with just 46 RBIs and a putrid .205 batting average, you can see where the struggles are as Wisdom has become an all-or-nothing player. There is a reason why he was a career minor leaguer before landing with the Cubs, and that may be the direction he is headed again if those strikeouts don't come down. Season Grade D+: It is hard to fathom giving a player a D+ when you connect for 23 homers, but that is all Wisdom does. He isn't a great defender, swings and misses at virtually everything, and continues to be a liability in the clutch. If not for the homers, he wouldn't be on this team, but it does appear that Wisdom has worn out his welcome, as he could be a roster casualty this offseason.
Granted, Morel was primarily a DH this season and can be viewed as a Utility player; he is the one guy who could slide over to the hot corner to keep his bat in the lineup. After an up-and-down rookie campaign, Morel began the season in AAA, hitting .303 with 11 homers and 29 RBIs in just 27 games. That was one of the best starts in Iowa franchise history, and that alone was worth the call-up. Once called up, Morel not only remained with the Cubs, but had six homers in his first eight games and nine in his first 20 as the recent power surge was on full display. For the season, Morel continued showing his potential as he was first on the team with 26 homers while driving in 70. He did that with a .247 average and finished the season with a combined 37 homers, which led the entire Cubs system. Next up for him would be to cut down on the strikeouts and become a more complete hitter. Grade B: Morel was impressive this season and is suddenly a piece the Cubs can build around. That is, of course, they don't trade him for other pieces, as I do expect his name to pop up in trade conversations. While the swing and miss rate is less than ideal, no one will deny the power potential he has, which he showed this season. However, not having a natural position hurts him, and that alone could be the deciding factor if they keep him around.
There once was a time when Candelario was a top 15 prospect in the Cubs system, only to be traded to Detroit for Alex Avila and Justin Wilson. After that trade, Candelario put together a very good career with Detroit and Washington to help him become one of the hottest trade commodities at the deadline. Knowing this, the Cubs elected to pounce and gave up a pair of top 20 prospects in SS Kevin Made and LHP DJ Herz to get Candelario back as the switch hitter returned home. Expecting him to be the middle-of-the-order bat this team lacked, Candelario got off to a hot start but faded fast down the stretch as his nagging back injury put him on the shelf for three weeks. For the season, Candelario hit .251 with 22 homers and 71 RBIs, but he wasn't as good with the Cubs. Across his 41 games in Chicago, Candelario saw his average plummet to .234 with six homers and 17 RBIs. Considering what the Cubs gave up to get him, he didn't deliver, leaving his future in the air. Grade C: I don't know what I expected from Candelario, but most figured he would do better. While in the Cubs system, Candelario consistently hit .265-.270 while connecting for around 15 homers and taking a ton of walks. While the walk numbers were good, the average and power numbers were down, which isn't ideal. Some would point to his sore back as the reason for that, but the Cubs can't use that as an excuse. Edwin Rios also saw time at third this season and went just 2-28 with one homer and two RBIs. He earns an F-, but realistically, an incomplete, given the small sample size of the dish.Patrick Wisdom
Christopher Morel
Jeimer Candelario
