MESA, Aris. – When Christopher Morel first spotted Seiya Suzuki in spring training, up 20 pounds from last year, Morel greeted Suzuki by commenting on how big and strong he looked.
“I said, next year, I’m going to be as big as him,” Morel recounted Wednesday through an interpreter. “Seiya told me, ‘No, don’t do that. You’re just going to get slow.’”
Morel said he did put on some weight this offseason, preparing for a long season ahead. Last year was his first taste of the big-leagues. The Cubs called him up in May, and even though his hot start gave way to a late-season slump, he kept giving the team reasons to keep him in the majors.