Forty-eight hours after learning the Chicago Cubs would have a new starting third baseman by signing Alex Bregman to a five-year contract, Matt Shaw was still digesting the move.
Shaw found out about the deal while watching TV when his wife got a notification on her phone.
“Of course, you’re kind of looking at it like, ‘Oh, man, where am I going to play?” Shaw said last week at the Cubs Convention. “And you get a little anxious about those things, because the team knows me good enough at this point to know I just want to be prepared when the season comes around. So of course I immediately have questions like, am I going to go here? Am I going to go there?”
The Cubs plan to move Shaw around the field and also will have him prepare this spring in the outfield to get more experience to give them more depth and options.
“They’ve been transparent with me, just kind of helping me to understand the role of moving to different positions, giving guys an off day here and there, and I’m pretty excited about it,” Shaw said. “I’ve played a lot of outfield in my life, so I’ll play some outfield, probably back up at a couple different positions in the infield. It’s going to be a unique year, for sure, but something I’m definitely looking forward to.”
The Cubs were among the most healthy teams with their starting position players last year with only Kyle Tucker and Miguel Amaya landing on the injured list. The organization is anticipating and preparing for a regression in that area, part of the year-to-year variability with injuries. Although the Cubs could still choose to trade Shaw, potentially for controllable pitching, they see value in having a Gold Glove Award finalist who can play multiple positions while still possessing upside offensively.
“From a team building perspective, building depth, make sure that your floor doesn’t get too low, typically doesn’t really raise your ceiling and then you’re also making decisions for this year and into the future, too, so they’re things that we’re factoring in with any transaction that comes across our desks and we value depth,” general manager Carter Hawkins said last week at the Cubs Convention. “We also value our ceiling. I would say we probably value our ceiling more than depth, to be honest, just from a standpoint of we’re in this thing to win championships, and win them year over year. So we’ll factor all those in and obviously allow a lot of alternatives.
“It’s a great luxury for 2026, and that status quo is a great alternative for 2026, and that’s something that will factor in as we’re going through the offseason.”
Not needing Shaw as their everyday third baseman could have a ripple effect with second baseman Nico Hoerner. The Cubs have made clear how much they value Hoerner. His low strikeout rate and bat-to-ball skills give their lineup a needed different look to complement Gold Glove defense, let alone the leadership he brings. Hoerner, who turns 29 in May, is also in the final season of the three-year contract extension he signed and is set to earn $12 million.
The Cubs are projected to be roughly $3 million under the first competitive balance tax threshold, and the front office does not appear to be required avoid going over it in 2026.
“This year, with where we are in our window, it’s probably less of a consideration than it has been in prior years,” Hawkins said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re going to be over or under, but I would think it’s fair to say it’s less of a consideration.
“That factors into how much of a consideration it is,” Hawkins added, in regards to unknowns of the next collective bargaining agreement. “Certainly not going all in on that they’re not going to be penalties or anything of that nature, but just the unknown of what those might be into the future, I think, definitely plays into some of our decisions. But we’ll be mindful of it. I’m mindful of it right now. We’ll be mindful of it during the season but probably less of a consideration than years past.”
Hoerner isn’t worrying about any trade speculation or his future in Chicago. He considers that part of the territory because he is close to free agency and doesn’t have a no-trade clause. As for whether he is interested in another contract extension, Hoerner, echoing president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, said any conversations relating to that would stay internal.
“I think, above all, just remembering that it’s not personal thing, and that the team’s job is to always make the best possible roster that they have the ability to do for this year and for years to come,” Hoerner said last week. “And looking at the things that we’ve done this offseason, that’s pretty evident. That’s their goal, and we’re in a really strong place.
“Trade rumors always make you reflect, and anything that kind of makes you question things is usually healthy. But I absolutely love the Cubs, and I’m really grateful to be here right now.”
