Matt Shaw is doing everything the Cubs ask of him, and he is doing it well enough to keep the door open for more. The 24-year-old has played third base, second base, first base and all three outfield spots this season, pinch-hit along the way and appeared in 26 of Chicago’s 29 games.
He has also hit. Shaw is slashing.292/.338/.462 with two home runs, nine RBIs and two stolen bases, a sharp turn from the difficult start that sent him back to Triple-A Iowa last season after his major league debut stalled at the plate.
The reason Shaw is in this spot begins with the Cubs’ offseason move for Alex Bregman. Chicago signed the three-time All-Star third baseman to a five-year, $175 million deal, and that pushed the club’s 2023 first-round draft pick out of a likely starting job at third base and into a super utility role instead. By the end of last season, Shaw had played well enough that many around the club believed he had earned the third-base job. The Bregman signing changed that equation immediately.
Shaw said the adjustment has been as much about routine as about position. He told MLB.com that figuring out what each day would look like took some getting used to, but said he feels in a good place now and likes arriving at the park knowing what his schedule will be for that day.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Shaw showed in spring training that he could handle the assignment. Counsell said he was not surprised by how Shaw has responded, adding that he had passed the test for him in camp and that the playing time has unfolded as expected. He also said injuries are likely to lead to more chances for Shaw, a reminder that the role is as much about necessity as depth.
The Cubs have been building that depth all over the roster. Nico Hoerner recently got a six-year extension at second base, which helps lock down one infield spot, while Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki are both eligible for free agency after this season and the club is not expected to keep both. That is where Shaw’s ability to move around the diamond matters most. He had no experience at first base and only limited exposure in the outfield before this year, but the Cubs are using him as roster flexibility while sorting through injuries and an uncertain future in the corners.
For now, Shaw’s value is not theoretical. He is playing often, producing and giving Chicago options it did not have when the offseason began. The next step may be even more defined. If the roster moves as expected, Shaw could be headed to a full-time corner outfield spot as soon as next year, a path that would make this season feel less like a detour than a long audition.
Related: Nico Hoerner sparks Cubs’ 11-2 rout as Matt Shaw makes history.
