Chicago Cubs: Trading Matt Shaw as questions of character emerge

The Chicago Cubs went out and got the third baseman of their dreams in Alex Bregman. The failed pursuit of the All-Star last offseason seemingly motored them into trying harder this offseason– and they succeeded.

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The Cubs were uncharacteristically aggressive in scooping up the free agent, agreeing to a deal worth $175 million over five years (with $70 million of that money deferred).

And while all this was happening, the team’s third baseman last year, Matt Shaw, has to be looking on from the outside, mouthing a befuddled “WTF?”

But it’s really not much of a mystery why the Cubs went after Bregman the way they did. To put it bluntly, Bregman is just a much, much better player than Shaw at the moment. The veteran also figures to assume a team leadership role on a Cubs squad that may lose much of its veteran core to free agency after next season.

Matt Shaw as a work in progress

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The 24-year-old Shaw, in contrast, is very much a work in progress heading into his sophomore year.

After struggling with the bat in his rookie season, Shaw got sent down to the minors early on for a quick retooling and then brought back up because, frankly, the Cubs had no other third base options. He did well enough from there to remain the team’s starting third baseman through the rest of the year, mostly due to a surprising advance in his defensive game and, again, because there was no better option behind him.

Known as a bat-first prospect all through the minors, hitting was a weak point in the majors. His .226 batting average was actually a bit deceptive as he had a lot of weak-contact hits, especially early on, and only delivered one month (August) where he approached being a league-average hitter. Then, there was the 2-for-17 fail in the playoffs that only accentuated doubts and question marks about his main stage ability.

If the Cubs are to compete for a title in the here and now, they need an established impact player who is pretty much guaranteed to deliver. At least, that’s what appears to be the line of thinking in ditching Shaw for Bregman.

Now, the question is what to do with the team’s 2023 first round draft pick.

He could definitely be shifted over to a utility role, bringing the kind of bench depth the 2025 Cubs lacked throughout the season. In the minors, Shaw played every position except pitcher, catcher, and first base. He’s never been known for his defense, but his ability to pretty much master third base in such a short period of time bodes well for his capacity to handle multiple positions.

Of course, he could also be traded.

Questions about Shaw’s character

Senior baseball analyst Keith Law talked up this possibility in a recent piece for The Athletic while offering up a previously unreported revelation that the young talent may be a bit on the difficult side when it comes to being coached.

Per Law:

“The most obvious candidate is Shaw, whose rookie season was a disappointment at the plate thanks to some frequent mechanical changes and, according to people I’ve spoken to, resistance to help from the Cubs’ staff. He also made his priorities clear when he left the team during the pennant race to attend a political rally, missing a game the Cubs lost 1-0.

Shaw hit everywhere in the minors and mashed during his brief demotion to Triple-A Iowa in 2025 as well, but his approach in the majors was a 180-degree shift, undisciplined and often defensive. I don’t think that’s who he is or will be as a hitter, but that, combined with the makeup questions after his choice in September, would make him the ideal person to trade.”

The “makeup questions” referenced are related to Shaw’s decision to leave the team, mid-pennant race, in September to attend the funeral of controversial slain right-wing Christian political activist Charlie Kirk.

Shaw’s role with the Cubs

The Cubs were supportive of Shaw’s choice at the time and remained supportive of Shaw, overall, right up until they moved to replace him.

“Honestly, I’ve been surprised by the number of media reports that kind of link us to different guys,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said during the MLB Winter Meetings in December, referencing rumors that the team was looking to replace Shaw at third. “There’s zero lack of confidence in Matt. Actually, I would say the opposite.”

To be fair, the Cubs could still have supreme confidence in him and he can still play a significant role on the team as a bench player this year and as insurance in case second baseman Nico Hoerner decides to jump into the free agency market after the coming season. One extra year as an apprentice underneath Bregman, Hoerner, and Dansby Swanson wouldn’t be the worst thing for his development as a player.

If Law’s report is true and there’s a bit of a difficult streak in him, his greatest gift to the Cubs would be his value as a tradeable asset. A one-for-one swap for a young outfield prospect, for example, would help beef up an outfield in desperate need of depth behind the three starters.

For now, though, everyone works under the assumption that Shaw is staying put and learning his big league lessons as a backup.

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-matt-shaw-trade-alex-bregman-nico-hoerner