Christopher Morel stepped up into the Cubs dugout during Willson Contreras’ first at-bat of the day Tuesday afternoon at Wrigley Field and clapped and shouted like he had never before done in his life.

“If we’re gonna say goodbye to him, let’s do it big like they did today,” Morel said. “I also stood up and cheered the hardest I could because he deserved it.”

There’s a possibility Tuesday afternoon was Contreras’ final at-bat as a Cub at Wrigley Field with trade deadline less than a week away now. That’s what made Tuesday so special for Morel and some of the other Latin players on the Cubs roster.

“He’s like our ringleader,” Morel said. “He’s a veteran, a person to follow with his work on and off the field. Just like he helped me, he has helped so many Latinos that have spent time with him.

“That’s the heart he has.”

That’s what made Tuesday so special for Morel. He witnessed a special moment between Cubs fans at Wrigley Field and their longtime catcher.

“Happiness, emotion because he deserved it,” Morel said. “He’s given everything for his team, his family, his teammates. We know the work he puts it in, the effort he puts in and honestly, he deserves that and more.”

And for Morel, he witnessed a special moment for not just a teammate, but a family member.

Contreras helped Morel during his recovery from a gruesome injury early in his career and he’s mentored him in his big-league career, including that viral moment from June 1 when Contreras helped remind Morel to take a deep breath during a crucial at-bat:

After Morel got down 0-2 in the final AB, he looked back at Contreras, who reminded him to take a deep breath.

Morel said that helped him refocus and ultimately led to the walk-off sac fly. pic.twitter.com/oPCoHlGnxr

— Tony Andracki (@TonyAndracki23) June 2, 2022

“For me, the only thing missing is blood to be a legal brother,” Morel said. “This is more than a team. This is a family. You might not see what’s going on in here, but we help one another, we show care a ton to feel like a family.”

That’s what would make the loss of Contreras tough for Morel.

“On one side, sadness because, like I said you don’t know what’s gonna happen, but if he leaves, I won’t have that care, that support that he’s always given me,” Morel said. “I have other teammates, but a teammate like Willson, that grew with me at my side, literally since my first day here in the United States and the career that he started here in Chicago, I felt sad because to me, he’s a person that’s never left me.”