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State of the Cubs: A new path at third base

2 weeks agoTony Andracki

After consecutive 83-79 seasons and missing out on the playoffs both times, the Cubs are beginning one of their most crucial winters in recent years. As the hot stove season kicks off in earnest, we analyze the Cubs depth chart at each position and how Jed Hoyer and the Cubs front office might address the team’s needs.

Next up: Third base

DEPTH CHART

  1. Isaac Paredes
  2. Patrick Wisdom
  3. Miles Mastrobuoni
  4. Nick Madrigal
  5. Matt Shaw
  6. James Triantos

ANALYSIS

Just before the trade deadline last summer, the Cubs made a surprising move to acquire Paredes in exchange for 3 players (including Christopher Morel).

With that deal, the Cubs believe they have solidified third base for years to come.

The big question is – will that performance fully carry over to Chicago?

After a solid 2022 season with the Rays, Paredes broke out in 2023 by hitting 31 homers, driving in 98 runs and posting an .840 OPS with 4.2 WAR.

He was on a similar trajectory in Tampa Bay prior to the trade but his production cratered with the Cubs as he hit just .223 with a .307 slugging percentage and .633 OPS in 52 games.

Do the Cubs have concern that Paredes won’t bounce back?

“When a guy has a really good track record and does it on the road,” Jed Hoyer said, “I feel like it wasn’t as if you look at what he did with the Cubs and it was a blanket negative. On the road, he was a really good player. He was probably even better than the player we expected.

“I just expect him to come in and play well. He has a track record. He’s a really good hitter, he controls the zone.”

Like Hoyer said, Paredes’ home/road splits were … drastic, to say the least.

In 25 games on the road with the Cubs, he hit .333/.448/.462 (.911 OPS) with 8 extra-base hits (2 HRs) and 13 RBI.

In 27 games at Wrigley Field, Paredes hit .105/.177/.140 (.317 OPS) with only 1 extra-base hit (1 HR) and 12 RBI.

[MORE: Projecting the 2025 Cubs roster]

The wind at Wrigley Field was a popular talking point over the last couple months of the season and Paredes might be the poster child for that debate. “The Friendly Confines” played very unfriendly to hitters throughout 2024 and it’s possible that got in Paredes’ head at the plate.

Nobody knows what the wind will do in 2025 or how Wrigley will play but the Cubs believe in Paredes’ skillset and won’t put too much stock into a small sample size.

WHAT’S NEXT

Paredes will turn 26 in February and is under team control through 2027. He made $3.4 million in 2024, his first year of arbitration. He is slated to get a raise in each of the next 3 years under the arbitration process but he also has a track record of strong performance that should make the contract worthwile.

Paredes is a 2-time All-Star and a solid defender at third base. He also draws walks an elite clip (11% career rate) while minimizing strikeouts (17.4%).

That day-to-day consistency provides a better fit for the Cubs than Morel’s all-or-nothing style. Morel also didn’t have a position long-term, as he struggled defensively at third base and wound up serving regular time at DH.

With Paredes in the fold, they have improved their infield defense long-term while also opening up the DH spot to fill with another bat (Seiya Suzuki, Owen Caissie, etc.).

The depth chart behind Paredes is unclear at the moment. Wisdom, Madrigal and Mastrobuoni could serve as utility players again or the Cubs could opt to change up their bench bats.

[WATCH: Exclusive interview with Pete Crow-Armstrong on offseason, Bellinger’s return to Cubs and more]

If Paredes is injured or goes through a bout of prolonged struggles, the Cubs have a pair of prospects coming up through the system who could play third base in Shaw and Triantos.

Both youngsters could also play second base if Nico Hoerner isn’t ready and may find their way on the big-league roster at some point in 2025.

BOTTOM LINE

This is Paredes’ position and while Cubs fans didn’t get a chance to see much production from him late last season, this is an All-Star-level performer who could lock down third base in Chicago for years to come.

State of the Cubs series
Catcher
First base
Second base
Third base
Shortstop
Left field
Center field
Right field
DH
Starting rotation
Bullpen

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