There isn’t a straight-line between these two things, but they are interrelated enough that I think they are worth pairing up for this post. Especially when it’s a topic I’m already a little tired of regurgitating.
With the arrival of Alex Bregman at third base, Matt Shaw is being pushed into a super utility role, which, per Jed Hoyer at the Cubs Convention, could include some reserve time in the outfield. Although it’s not a position he’s played, Shaw is a sufficiently good athlete that it’s not hard to imagine him becoming passable, at least in a corner outfield spot, very quickly.
Sure enough, Shaw is already getting to work in the outfield out in Arizona, while also continuing his work in the infield:
After batting practice, Matt Shaw took outfield reps. Good reaction time from crack of bat, one depth judgment misread on a fly ball at him, but great acceleration going back and forward. Lots of torque and horsepower in his running. VIDEO. pic.twitter.com/qP6NQ2XWon
— John Antonoff (@baseballinfocus) January 21, 2026Pre-Spring Training; 1-21-2026Cubs Camp#JamesTriantos and #MattShaw taking batting practice. After, spent around 30 minutes on outfield fly balls – Triantos in LF and Shaw in RF. First time seeing Shaw in the outfield, is a change of position in the works.I’ve been lucky… pic.twitter.com/kjASmA6D6L
— Ray R. Rardin II (@AZProspectWatch) January 21, 2026Some infield practice with Matt Shaw at 2nd, @JamesTriantos at SS and Coach @BSB_Blueprint at first. #Cubs pic.twitter.com/M756WxmrCr
— Rich Biesterfeld (@biest22) January 21, 2026As we’ve discussed at length, the 2026 Cubs are improved with Matt Shaw on the roster in a utility role. That doesn’t mean the Cubs don’t listen to the potential for a deal they can’t turn down – same with Nico Hoerner at second base – but this is not a situation where the Cubs have to make a move. And they are proceeding with Shaw’s ramp-up as though no trade is coming.
That said, the Boston Red Sox chatter isn’t going away.
At the Ranger Suarez introductory press conference, Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow talked about wanting to improve on defense in the infield, and the Boston media collectively seemed to take that to mean an external addition.
For example, from Jen McCaffrey at The Athletic:
‘With that in mind, it appears the Red Sox are seeking a strong defensive second baseman.
“It’s really important that we improve our defense, particularly our infield defense,” Breslow said. “Any additions that we may make, we’ll be very mindful of the defensive skillset.”
That would seem to rule out Houston’s Isaac Paredes, who has struggled defensively at third base. And while the Cubs have said they plan to hold onto Nico Hoerner, he would be the perfect fit as one of the best second basemen in the league with a solid bat even if he is a free agent at the end of the season. The Cubs, according to The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma, would be seeking a big league pitcher with upside in addition to a top prospect, a steep, but perhaps necessary return for a Red Sox team vying to contend in 2026.’
Not that I’m ignoring the fact that it was Nico Hoerner mentioned there and not Matt Shaw, but I do think the point is pretty much identical. Shaw is also likely to be a very good defensive second baseman, and it’s not hard to imagine him being even more attractive to the Red Sox because of the six years of team control (and because the Cubs are probably holding to an unreasonably high price on Hoerner).
Whether it’s with the Cubs or not, it does sound like the Red Sox are trying to make something happen:
This is not a surprise or particularly revelatory, but have heard the Red Sox are, in fact, involved in serious trade talks all over the place when it comes to adding to the positional player group.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) January 21, 2026The Red Sox are a very strong fit for the Cubs in terms of a trade partner, IF THEY WERE going to go this route. They have an overload of starting pitching, including some extremely compelling MLB-ready arms, and a deep farm system. In terms of value, it’s pretty easy to piece together a trade that looks like an obvious win for the Cubs. If that comes to pass, hey, great, we’ll talk about it then.
But, again, I have to underscore that Matt Shaw is set to play a very important role on the 2026 Cubs. He can be a day-to-day sub at so many spots. He can run the bases well in a pinch. And he can effectively serve as the primary back-up at third, second, shortstop, and maybe a corner outfield spot (by way of shifting guys around if necessary). Not too many teams out there could lose their starting second baseman, for example, and have someone like Shaw ready to plug right in.
Moreover, after 2026, if Nico Hoerner departs in free agency, the Cubs would have a huge hole at second base. Maybe James Triantos breaks back out and could step in. Maybe Pedro Ramirez really explodes this year and could be the guy. Or maybe Jefferson Rojas blows up and shifts over to second. Maybe, maybe, maybe. There’s a lot of risk in rolling those dice with a Shaw trade if you don’t think you have a VERY good shot at re-signing Hoerner.
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