When the Cubs traded Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith to the Astros for Kyle Tucker last winter, the sea between Matt Shaw and third base was parted like something out of the bible. The Cubs had gotten rid of the established All-Star ahead of him (Paredes) and the rising prospect behind him (Smith). And for a while, third base was Shaw’s and Shaw’s alone.
Indeed, after whiffing on Alex Bregman last winter, the Cubs opened up the season in Tokyo with Matt Shaw at third base. And he kept playing there every day … until it became clear that his particular offensive approach and set-up at the plate/mechanics weren’t quite working for him against big league pitching.
Through his first 68 plate appearances, Shaw slashed a paltry .172/.294/.241 (61 wRC+), with too much passivity, too many strikeouts, and weak contact overall. But he went to Iowa, worked on his approach, succeeded there in a small sample (150 wRC+), and came back up to the Cubs on May 19.
From then until the end of the season, Shaw was roughly a league-average bat (99 wRC+), with an even stronger showing in the second half of the season (130 wRC+). And those results, while not evenly accrued, were encouraging, because they followed another mid-season benching, during which he tweaked his swing further, began pulling the ball more often, and almost immediately got better results because of it.
Throw in his Gold Glove nomination, 17 stolen bases, and the fact that he was just a 23-year-old rookie, and the future looked perfectly bright for Matt Shaw, who still had third base all to himself … until last Saturday night.
One week ago, today, the Cubs signed free agent third baseman Alex Bregman to one of the largest contracts in franchise history. And although he might get some time off to rest (or DH against lefties), the keys to third base are definitely in his hands. And since Nico Hoerner is still under contract for one more season, coming off a career-year himself, the pathway to infield starts for the second-year Shaw has all but dried up.
And he’s very aware of that fact, acknowledging that he may have been (at least temporarily) squeezed out by Bregman and Hoerner.
Matt Shaw says the Cubs have been transparent about what his role will be…including potential outfield reps. He was asked about his reaction to the Bregman signing. #Cubsconvention #Cubs pic.twitter.com/0e8aq5HVgG
— ESPN Chicago (@ESPN1000) January 16, 2026Here’s the full transcript of what was shared above:
“Yeah, my wife got a notification on her phone, and, uh, she let me know while we were watching TV. And, of course, you’re kinda looking at it like ‘oh man, where am I going to play?’ You get a little anxious about those things.”
He continued, “The team knows me good enough at this point to know like I just want to be prepared when the season comes around. So, of course, I immediately have questions like ‘Am I gonna go here, am I gonna there?’ And they’ve been transparent with me, helping me understand my (new) role, moving to different positions, giving guys an off-day here. And, you know, I’m pretty excited about it. I’ve play a lot of outfield in my life, so I’ll play some outfield, probably back-up at a couple different positions in the infield. So it’s gonna be a unique year, for sure, but it’s something that I definitely look forward to.”
First of all, that’s a solid, professional response … about what you want to hear from a young kid like him. Kudos on that front. But you don’t have to listen closely to feel the uncertainty behind the words. And he’s not wrong about that. For at least this season, if everyone is healthy and no one is traded, Shaw is going to be squeezed into a super utility role. That could mean occasional starts at third and second, (and evidently also the outfield), but those starts will be tough to come by.
Especially because Nico Hoerner isn’t all that eager to take days off.
We already knew this about him, but I am absolutely howling at the bluntness of Nico Hoerner’s reaction here.
Could Nico Hoerner benefit from taking a day off with Matt Shaw in the fold? “No” #NicoHoerner #Cubsconvention pic.twitter.com/8ytwsAWAHA
— ESPN Chicago (@ESPN1000) January 16, 2026The funniest exchange:
REPORTER: “Could you benefit from maybe taking a couple of extra days here or there, when there’s a guy like Matt Shaw around as a … capable fill-in?”
NICO HOERNER: Uhm, no, not really. I don’t think so (laughter).
Now, Hoerner immediately conceded that if someone is at risk of being hurt or not playing at 100% by the time October rolls around, then, yeah, days off can be important. But he strikes right back, pointing out that he feels like he gets better as the season goes on because of those everyday reps.
And, hey, the numbers back that up.
Nico Hoerner Career Splits:
First half: 100 wRC+ Second half: 107 wRC+It was even more stark last season, when the Cubs’ second baseman slashed .313/.361/.431 (123 wRC+) from July 29 through the end of the season.
So what does this all mean for Matt Shaw? Well, nothing has changed there. Yes, both he and Hoerner have been involved in trade rumors … rumors which existed even BEFORE the Cubs signed Bregman. But assuming no one is dealt, Shaw will be a bench player this year, getting some time at second base, third base, and maybe a corner outfield spot.
After that, he could conceivably take over for Nico Hoerner…if Hoerner leaves via free agency. But I think many still hope to see an extension there, so we’ll see.
Personally, I’m not too concerned about it.
For one, Shaw is only 24 years old and under control through 2031. He will get his time to start eventually. And even until then, he’s going to play a significant role off the bench this year. The Cubs enjoyed almost NO value from the bench last season, so he represents a significant upgrade in that regard, and should still get plenty of at-bats in a part-time role.
For another, he’s still developing. Shaw may have started to hit in the second half, but almost all of that damage was done in the first 72 plate appearances after the All-Star break:
First 72 PAs: 211 wRC+Final 133 PAs: 86 wRC+
He was absolutely not a finished product.
For yet another, people get injured. Guys need days off. And Craig Counsell is creative. If Shaw earns his playing time, he’ll get it. There’s just nothing wrong with being a part-time contributor as a sophomore at age-24.
And finally, I don’t want to disregard the outfield piece of that entirely. Until now, I had been dismissing it as a possibility, but something did occur to me: Nico Hoerner isn’t the only free-agent-to-be next year. The Cubs are also scheduled to lose Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki. So if Shaw does play some outfield and takes well to the position defensively, he could be setting himself up for more starts in 2027, EVEN IF the Cubs extend Nico Hoerner.
So, I guess that is all to say, patience, young grasshopper. One way or another, you’re going to contribute this year. And there are plenty of spots opening up in 2027.
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