What's Next For Cubs At Third Base After Matt Shaw, Gage Workman Experiments Fail?

[RandallPnkFloyd]

Pitching moves were expected. Position player moves... less so.

Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

In between games of their quick two-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago Cubs shuffled the roster around a little bit. Just not quite in the way that we thought they would:

 

The pitching side of things was noted earlier this week. With the Cubs acquiring Drew Pomeranz and his upward mobility clause on Monday of this week, the initial report was that he'd be called up to the big club on Wednesday. That's come to fruition with his selection from Iowa and the subsequent placing of Justin Steele on the 60-day IL. Steele, of course, will miss the rest of the 2025 season after undergoing elbow surgery.

Also notable within the pitching transactions is the quick option of Gavin Hollowell back to Iowa. Hollowell made his first appearance of 2025 on Tuesday night, flashing a new arm slot and holding things down for two crucial innings in the Cubs' comeback win over the Dodgers. Given the outcomes there, it probably won't be long before we see him again. Pomeranz, though, will give manager Craig Counsell a fresh arm from the left side to work with for at least the next handful of days.

Obviously, the most pressing news from Sahadev Sharma is the signing of infielder Nicky Lopez to a Major League deal. Lopez, you'll remember, was with the Cubs in spring training, but opted out of his deal once it became clear that Vidal Bruján and Gage Workman were ahead of him in the utility infielder game. He caught on with the Los Angeles Angels in Zach Neto's absence. With Neto returning over the weekend, Lopez was sent back out and elected free agency. 

Lopez had a really strong spring for the Cubs (195 wRC+ in 24 PA), but his bat has consistently been below average (with the exception of a 104 wRC+ back in 2021). He does bring a lot versatility to the infield. Given Workman's broad struggles with strikeouts and recent struggles with the glove (especially on Tuesday), there's an element of stability that Lopez can bring to the group.

It's an unfortunate development for Workman, in particular, as we couldn't remotely classify this as a legitimate run. He had a fantastic spring but was unable to find consistent opportunity with Matt Shaw in front of him to start the year. The small sample wasn't nearly enough to warrant a longer run with the roster, however. At least, not for a team pressing for early wins in a schedule as tough as this. He'll head to waivers and, if he gets through, will be offered back to Detroit, his original, pre-Rule 5 team.

Shaw, of course, is not ready to return to the big leagues just yet. He has just one hit in 13 at-bats since returning to Triple-A Iowa and is still in search of the confidence that made him one of the best prospects in all of baseball. He'll be back at some point in 2025, but it may not be soon.

So, then, where do the Cubs go from here at the hot corner? All of Jon Berti , Bruján, and (technically) Justin Turner can handle the position, but that triumvirate isn't exactly going to solve the team's offensive woes at third base. Turner has a .412 OPS and looks like he'll be the next to go when the Cubs need a free roster spot, while Berti and Bruján are far more valuable as versatile chess pieces off the bench, rather than everyday starters. Perhaps Lopez, with enough playing time, can prove his spring training performance wasn't all that much of a fluke.

We're not going to pretend like this roster shuffling changes much for the Cubs in the grand scheme of things, of course. You've replaced one light-hitting utility infielder with another. But Lopez is certainly a more seasoned version of Workman, given the lengthier run he's gotten at the top level since 2019. Now back in the fold, he does at least combine with Bruján and Berti to give the Cubs one of the more versatile bench groups in all of baseball. 

And that's probably going to be necessary for this next stretch of baseball given the remaining vacancy at third base.

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[mul21]

15 hours ago, RandallPnkFloyd said:

Turner has a .412 OPS and looks like he'll be the next to go when the Cubs need a free roster spot

 

I don't think this is remotely true.

[JBears79]

I wonder if Ryan McMahon is a target at the trade deadline. He's been horrible with the bat to start the season but he's been consistent throughout his whole career so I think he will turn it around and hes a free agent next season. 

[Billy62]

It’s a pickle to be sure. I think if Justin Turner was given a series of consecutive at-bats, I believe his numbers would improve. But, at age 40 consistent play without rest does invite the injury bug. But, there are a few plug and play assets that can be utilized. At least for the short term.

[Rcal10]

7 minutes ago, Billy62 said:

It’s a pickle to be sure. I think if Justin Turner was given a series of consecutive at-bats, I believe his numbers would improve. But, at age 40 consistent play without rest does invite the injury bug. But, there are a few plug and play assets that can be utilized. At least for the short term.

I am not sure Turner can play 3rd base on a semi regular basis. I am way more worried about his defense than I am his bat, especially if his bat only has to be better than Berti/Lopez/Brujan. 

[Rcal10]

On 4/24/2025 at 8:03 AM, JBears79 said:

I wonder if Ryan McMahon is a target at the trade deadline. He's been horrible with the bat to start the season but he's been consistent throughout his whole career so I think he will turn it around and hes a free agent next season. 

If the plan is only for this year, maybe they do see about him. But he is not the long term answer. I still believe in Shaw. 

[squally1313]

Yeah Turner can't be the answer for consistent play at third base and he's going to need his bat to play in his mostly spot starts if the outfield options and Busch stay healthy. 

McMahon might be cooked and has two more years after this, seems like a big pill to swallow to cover a couple months even if he were playing well and not hitting .176. 

Really we shouldn't panic right now. We're shuffling through expendable journeymen because we have a top prospect that is very close to major league at AAA, and cumulatively as a team we've put up elite offensive production in a months worth of games. It's fine. 

[JBears79]

28 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

If the plan is only for this year, maybe they do see about him. But he is not the long term answer. I still believe in Shaw. 

Yeah that's what I was thinking. I also still believe in Shaw but I dont think it would hurt to consider an expiring contract for a couple months. He was the first name that popped into my head outside of Arenado but I dont see that ever happening.

 

EDIT: I was wrong. I didnt realize he had signed an extension with Colorado. That makes that idea much less appealing.

Edited April 25, 2025 by JBears79

[squally1313]

5 minutes ago, JBears79 said:

Yeah that's what I was thinking. I also still believe in Shaw but I dont think it would hurt to consider an expiring contract for a couple months. He was the first name that popped into my head outside of Arenado but I dont see that ever happening.

 

EDIT: I was wrong. I didnt realize he had signed an extension with Colorado. That makes that idea much less appealing.

Quick glance at FG says it's basically like, Paul DeJong and his 46 wRC, The Return of Miles Mastrobuoni, or....Gio Urshela? But the As are 2 games under .500 and have the White Sox this weekend, so can't picture that. 

You're just not going to convince me any of those guys are definitely going to be better going forward than Berti, or even Workman, Lopez, etc. Would they have been better than Workman? Sure, hard to be worse. But that's not the expectation for anyone going forward. 

[mul21]

14 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

Quick glance at FG says it's basically like, Paul DeJong and his 46 wRC, The Return of Miles Mastrobuoni, or....Gio Urshela? But the As are 2 games under .500 and have the White Sox this weekend, so can't picture that. 

You're just not going to convince me any of those guys are definitely going to be better going forward than Berti, or even Workman, Lopez, etc. Would they have been better than Workman? Sure, hard to be worse. But that's not the expectation for anyone going forward. 

I wouldn't hate DeJong.  Good defender and he'll hit some dongs even if he doesn't maintain the offensive resurgence he had last year.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I don't think this has to be very complicated. Berti has played at a league averageish level for basically his entire career and has handled 3B fine.  Brujan gives a LHH look for rest/particular matchups, and if Shaw's swing gets realigned then he can have another every day go.