MIAMI (AP) — Infielder Christopher Morel and the Miami Marlins finalized a $2 million, one-year contract on Thursday.
Morel, 26, hit .219 with 37 runs, 16 doubles, 11 homers and 33 RBI in 105 games with the Tampa Bay Rays last season. He started 57 games in left field with a .971 fielding percentage, made one start in right field and one appearance at second base.
The Santiago, Dominican Republic, native was signed by the Chicago Cubs in August 2015, ranking as high as the organization’s No. 8 prospect by MLB Pipeline in 2021.
He played in 323 games with Chicago over parts of three seasons from 2022-24 and hit .228 with 43 doubles, eight triples, 60 home runs, and 168 RBIs.
The move is the first significant signing of the offseason for the Marlins, who finished the 2025 season with a 79-83 record under first-year manager Clayton McCollough.