What Cubs' Third Base Buzz Could Mean For Matt Shaw, Other Infielders

[RandallPnkFloyd]

Image courtesy of © Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The 2025-26 Major League Baseball offseason remains in its relative infancy, but things are beginning to pick up with the Winter Meetings in full swing. One of the more notable developments thus far for the Chicago Cubs is their connection with a pair of high-profile third basemen. 

This offseason has already brought renewed reports of the team's interest in Alex Bregman. The Cubs were reported to have offered Bregman a deal last winter before he ultimately landed in Boston. From the time he opted out of his deal with the Red Sox this winter, though, the Cubs have been a team whose name has been floating around in connection with the veteran.

More recently, we've heard the Cubs and Eugenio Suárez's name mentioned in tandem with one another. Suárez was a popular name that appeared in conjunction with the Cubs' trade deadline pursuits this past year before he wound up traded to the Seattle Mariners. Of course, July also wasn't the first time that we've heard his name come across the rumor circuit as a potential addition.

Either player presents a certain level of logic for the team to target as an addition for 2026. Bregman offers more of an all-around game while Suárez would add a massive power component (.298 ISO in 2025). Both would provide a boost to an offensive team to help cover for Kyle Tucker's imminent departure. And given the prominence of each name in connection with the Cubs, there's plenty of time to hash out what their respective fits look like from a skill set standpoint. 

Regardless of how either pursuit shakes out, however, there's a crucial element worth discussing in relation to the team's current roster construction. 

Heading into this offseason, the infield group looked like as stable a phase as the roster had to offer: Carson Kelly and a healthy Miguel Amaya behind the plate, Michael Busch at first base, Nico Hoerner at second, Dansby Swanson at shortstop, and Matt Shaw resuming his post at third base. The latter's role now becomes something of a question considering this recent batch of hot-stove rumors.

There isn't any question that Shaw's bat still has a ways to go in its development. As good as his defense was as the season wore on, his total body of work included a .226/.295/.394 line and a 93 wRC+. The power manifested at points during the summer but disappeared again toward the end of the year. His only contributions during the team's brief playoff run came by way of his five walks. His swing mechanics remain inconsistent, and there are some zone issues to be worked out. None of these are things that can't be fixed, but if the Cubs fancy themselves within a contention window, then that changes the calculus on how long the team is willing to wait with him entrenched as an everyday third baseman. 

Should the Cubs ultimately sign one of Bregman or Suárez (or acquire a different yet-to-be-named everyday type), it changes the perception of Shaw's role entirely. In general, we're left to wonder if there's more development on the horizon for Shaw in Iowa or if he becomes part of a trade to a rebuilding club for a starting pitcher. Those would appear to be the most likely outcomes in a situation such as this. It's also possible that the outcome becomes dependent on which third baseman is signed.

That's because there's something of a possibility that Shaw remains on the big-league roster as a utility-type as the bat comes along, but only if it's Suárez that puts ink to paper. Benefits exist with that approach, at least in the sense that he'd provide coverage in the middle infield for a pair of players that rarely get a break while also rotating in at third should the Cubs choose to occasionally deploy Suárez as the designated hitter. But teams are not always compelled to turn to such a role with a high-upside prospect, as it can tend to stifle their actual playing time. It would be a delicate balancing act if required. That said, such a scenario is less likely to exist in the event of a Bregman signing. In that instance, Shaw is likely destined for a pure backup role, rotating in on more of an as-needed basis.

It's also not as if Shaw is the only one that could be impacted by a third base signing. 

Nico Hoerner is a free agent after 2026 coming off a career year in which he garnered down-ballot MVP votes. We don't know if the Cubs are interested in retaining Hoerner on a new deal or what terms might look like. We do know that his name was making the rounds in trade rumors as recently as last winter. Would the Cubs sign a third baseman, flip Shaw and his multiple years of team control over to the keystone, and move Hoerner as part of a deal for a coveted starting pitcher via trade? Again, that's purely speculation. But it fits another logical route that could be traversed if the team were to bring in a fresh face at the hot corner.

This is all completely hypothetical, of course. Then again, everything is this time of year. What's important is that the Cubs are clearly interested in retooling their roster given some of the names to which we've seen them attached. The fallout from a deal, were they successful in pursuit, would lead to some fascinating outcomes within the rest of the roster.

View full article