MESA, Ariz. — Christopher Morel finished getting dressed at his locker and turned around to face around a dozen or so reporters ready to pepper him with questions.

One of the first questions he received was the news of camp on Saturday: what’s it like focusing primarily at third base this spring?

“I heard it today,” Morel said in Spanish after his scrum with the media contingent. “I hadn’t sat down with [manager Craig] Counsell yet. But really, it feels really good to hear that they’re gonna give me the opportunity.

“Now it’s about me. It’s about giving it my best and showing that I can play third base.”

The hot corner has been Morel’s preferred position during his professional career. He’s played 1,298.1 innings there in his minor league career, more than any other position. But at the major league level, he’s started just 20 games there, amassing 180.2 innings with a .911 fielding percentage and a -4 Outs Above Average at the position.

Those struggles are why he’s not guaranteeing himself as the Cubs’ Opening Day third baseman.

“I don’t have anything secure yet,” Morel said. “I try to see it like I have to still show them that I can play it and see it as a challenge. Just like they are giving me an opportunity, I’m going to show them that I can play it.”

The biggest challenge at the position, for him, is fine-tuning his arm accuracy. The arm strength has never been a question — he ranks in the 99^th percentile in arm strength, per Statcast.

“We’re working on that,” Morel said. “It’s a challenge for me. I’m trying to get more control more consistently and we’re working on that with the coaches here.”

The Cubs know what kind of offensive impact Morel can have — he was tied for the team lead in home runs in 2023 while spending the first month of the season at Triple-A. That kind of offensive prowess warrants a spot in a big-league lineup, now it’s about finding the positional home — and both parties hope it’s at third base.

“I’m trying to do the best, be the best,” Morel said. “Every time I go to home plate, every time I go to the field, I’m trying to get better and better.”