How Cubs, Matt Shaw are viewing third base opportunity this spring
One of the few remaining question marks on the positional side for the Cubs resides at the hot corner.
And with Alex Bregman, one of the game’s premier third basemen, available on the free agent market, it’s fair to ask: is the Cubs’ Opening Day third baseman in the organization?
“I think likely,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said at Cubs Convention at the Sheraton Grand. “I think we’ll certainly look to supplement. [I was] asked a question about bench players and certainly infield is an area we’ve been focused on, but I think the likelihood is, yeah, [the third baseman is in the organization].”
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The obvious solution is top prospect Matt Shaw.
The 2023 1st-round pick reached Triple-A in 2024 and hit .298 with a .929 OPS, 7 home runs, 21 RBI and 6 stolen bases in 35 games. Shaw was drafted out of Maryland as a middle infielder and spent the majority of his first pro season at either second base or shortstop.
But the Cubs look set there at the big-league level with Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner.
“I look at our middle infield and see two of the best defensive middle infielders in the game,” Shaw told Cole Wright at Cubs Convention this weekend. “I’m smart enough to know that I’m going to be playing third base, if at all.”
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Shaw took reps at third base in 2023 and made 3 starts there at Double-A. This past season, he was primarily a third baseman. The 23-year-old started 63 games at the hot corner and 24 each at second and shortstop.
That has him believing he’s ready for the test this spring to win that job.
“It’s been really two years in the making of getting better at third base,” Shaw said. “A whole season and then the [Premier 12 tournament] at third base, along with some great coaching there.
“I think one of the biggest differences about this year is just I feel a lot more confident at third base.”
Shaw’s job is to be ready for the test. The task for the Cubs front office is to create cover for him.
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He’s thrived at the plate at every minor-league level (.906 OPS, .303 average with 29 homers and 99 RBI in 159 games). But it’s been proven time and time again that the jump from Triple-A to the majors is massive — and success doesn’t always carry over.
Pete Crow-Armstrong finished the 2024 campaign strong — an .806 OPS with 8 doubles, 7 home runs, 30 RBI and 9 stolen bases over his final 57 games — but it was a far contrast from the start of his big-league career.
Across his first 79 games (13 in 2023 and 66 in 2024) the center fielder hit .167, had a .497 OPS and struck out 27.1% of the time.
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“Pete’s season is not unusual, right?” Hoyer said. “Those kind of struggles, eventually you have to work through those to get to the good stuff, so to speak. So hopefully he’s an example of what that can look like.
“I think that this fan base was really spoiled by Kris Bryant and Addison Russell effectively having no transition. That’s pretty unusual.”
So, the Cubs will pursue third base depth options to provide cover if Shaw struggles. They’ve already added some options — they acquired former top prospect Vidal Bruján in a trade with Miami and took infielder Gage Workman in the Rule 5 draft.
“But then there’s certain players out there, and then players that potentially will be on the trade market that we’ll look at,” general manager Carter Hawkins said. “Just try to continue bringing guys that play multiple positions in the infield, give us that depth, and guys that would have experience of being able to play a major league season and just giving those different alternatives.”
