Marlins DFA Christopher Morel, End Fruitless Experiment

The Miami Marlins designated first baseman Christopher Morel for assignment to make room on the roster for Griffin Conine, who was returning from the 60-day Injured List.

The Marlins signed Morel to a $2 million free agent deal for this season, with hopes of him returning to his earlier form when he totaled 63 home runs across his first three seasons.

Sad to say, he was an absolute liability at the plate. Through 68 at-bats, he collected only 11 hits (.162 BA), no home runs, and registered a -0.5 WAR. For context, the wins above replacement stat calculates how many more wins a player would influence compared to an average Triple-A player.

Morel suffered a setback early on with an oblique injury, which scratched him from the Opening Day lineup and placed him on the Injured List for a month. His bat never recovered.

As the season went on, it became more evident that the Marlins were better off without Morel on the field. The Marlins were 33-24 in games he was not in the lineup, compared to 6-14 with him.

As the Marlins continued competing and climbing into postseason contention, the Fightin’ Fish also continued to shed the free agents that were supposed to get this young team over the hump. Chris Paddack (0-7, 6.96 ERA, 0-8 WAR) is now with the Cincinnati Reds. 

Austin Slater started for the Marlins on Opening Day but is now on his third team with the Tampa Bay Rays. The third time seems to be the charm for the veteran outfielder, as he has knocked in six hits in seven games (.273) after totaling nine hits in 21 games between the Marlins and New York Mets.