The Chicago Cubs made headlines on Tuesday when it was reported that they were optioning their top prospect and starting third baseman, Matt Shaw, to Triple-A Iowa.
The news itself was surprising.
Shaw not only is the No. 1-ranked prospect in the Cubs' pipeline, but he's one of the best in all of baseball. After he was named the Opening Day starter, it seemed like he would have a place on the Major League roster the entire season.
However, the youngster struggled to start the year.
In 18 games, Shaw slashed .172/.294/.241 with a homer and three RBI for an OPS+ of 58.
For a franchise like Chicago who desperately needs to contend this season, that production is not good enough at a premium position like third base.
Shaw's demotion got most the attention, but it wasn't the only roster move the team made.
In a major bullpen shakeup, the Cubs recalled both Luke Little and Daniel Palencia, optioning Nate Pearson to Triple-A Iowa while placing Eli Morgan on the 15-day injured list with an elbow issue.
Both Pearson and Morgan were trade additions in 2024, with the former being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of the deadline and the latter being an early offseason acquisition.
Unfortunately, neither have had the impact that Chicago expected.
Pearson had an ERA of 10.38 across his eight outings, giving up 10 earned runs on 13 hits while walking seven and only striking out five in 8 2/3 innings pitched.
Morgan's ERA was even higher at 12.27, allowing 10 earned runs on 12 hits with just four strikeouts compared to three walks in 7 1/3 innings pitched.
Vidal Brujan was the corresponding move for Shaw's demotion, being activated off the 10-day injured list after recovering from his right elbow sprain.
His lone appearance for the Cubs came on the March 19 matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Tokyo, so it's hard to gauge how he might do with his new team. But he's not expected to be an upgrade at the plate compared to Shaw with just a career OPS+ of 49 across his 202 Major League games.
