The Chicago Cubs have been extremely active this offseason, trying to improve what was a solid team last year.
So far this winter, the Cubs have made quite a few moves to improve the organization. Chicago is looking like the favorite to win the National League Central, most notably because of the trade to bring Kyle Tucker up north.
While the addition of Tucker certainly improves the team, there is still some work to be done. The starting rotation is looking fairly strong, but the bullpen could use some help. Adding one more starter and potentially an elite-level relief pitcher would make a lot of sense for the Cubs.
After the deal to bring in Tucker, the lineup is pretty strong, but there is a potential area of weakness at third base.
Recently, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report highlighted the risk that Chicago could be taking in a win-now year by starting Matt Shaw at the hot corner. Furthermore, he spoke about the franchise potentially regretting not pursuing Alex Bregman this offseason.
“What if Shaw isn't the answer, though, and the Cubs come to regret not opening their checkbook to sign Alex Bregman? They have one of the better starting rotations in baseball, and just about every other spot in their lineup has either Silver Slugger or Gold Glove potential. But third base is a huge question mark. If they can turn that into a strength while also perhaps adding one more high-leverage reliever, they could reasonably hang with the Dodgers, Mets, Phillies and Braves in the NL.”
With the Cubs being in a win-now mindset, starting Shaw at third base is certainly taking a risk. However, this is a team that has a lot of young talent that they have wanted to make space for at the major league level, and Shaw is one of those players.
Last season in the minor leagues, the young prospect totaled a .284 batting average, 21 home runs, and 31 stolen bases.
If Shaw puts up similar numbers in the big leagues, Chicago is going to be a very dangerous team. However, as a young player, there is certainly the possibility that he will struggle at the next level. For a team that might only have Tucker for one season, they do need to make sure they are doing all they can to win now.
While winning now is important for the Cubs, signing Bregman might be a bit of a stretch. If Chicago is thinking about keeping Tucker long-term, they will need to save up their assets for what will be a massive contract next offseason. Even though Shaw is unproven, he should get a chance and the team can always reevaluate during the season if need be.
