The Cubs made a big deal over the weekend by acquiring a star third baseman Alex Bregman on a five-year contract. As a multi-time All-Star who reliably provides Gold Glove defense at third base and offense posting a 125 wRC+ range, Bregman is sure to provide a major lift to the club heading into 2026. It’s as solid a signing as the club gets, however, and it raises questions about the future of some of their players. The 2025 Cubs finished the season average across the board. Dansby Swanson again Nico Hoerner managed shortstop and second base for the third consecutive season, while Matt Shaw entered 2025 as the team’s top prospect and has taken third base every year by the end of the year.
The addition of Bregman leaves the club with four backs at three positions. A designated call center can help. With Kyle Tucker He is not expected to re-sign with the Cubs, Seiya Suzuki they could spend more time on the field in 2026. However, Moises Ballesteros he is currently the favorite for the DH spot, as he gets his first at-bat in 2025 but is considered a work-in-progress as a catcher.
Having too many guys is a good problem to have but it remains to be seen if the Cubs will do anything to break up that logjam in the short term. If they don’t, Shaw may be the odd man out. He has options remaining and could be sent down to Triple-A Iowa to open the season, though he could be benched as a professional. Hoerner is set to hit free agency following the 2026 season, so perhaps the best option is for Shaw to take on the depth role this year before taking over at second base when Hoerner hits free agency next winter.
That’s a plan that comes with flaws in the short and long term, however. For one thing, Shaw losing the chance to get consistent, big-league at-bats could have a negative impact on his development. The 24-year-old had a decent rookie season in 2025, hitting .226/.295/.394 (93 wRC+) in 126 games. Those numbers aren’t exceptional, but he improved as the season went on. After the All-Star break, Shaw slashed a very impressive .258/.317/.522 with a wRC+ of 130 as he crushed ten doubles, two triples, and 11 homers in just 205 trips to the plate.
That flash of power from Shaw is enticing, but it may be difficult for Shaw to build on that success if he faces inconsistent playing time in a bench role or in the minor leagues at Triple-A. As noted by The Athletic’s Keith Law after the Bregman signing, Shaw went through a number of changes in the 2025 season and at times resisted help from the Cubs’ coaching staff. The youngster’s numbers took a turn for the worse in the final weeks of September and in the postseason, so there may be plenty of tweaks left to make.
That would make trading Hoerner or Shaw itself a viable outcome. Hoerner’s name has slowly come up as a potential trade candidate over the past two seasons, and it’s easy to see why rival teams would be interested. The 28-year-old will retire in 2025. He posted a 109 wRC+ and hit at a paltry 7.6% clip in 154 games for Chicago. Over the past four years since becoming an everyday player, Hoerner has slashed .284/.339/.389 (105 wRC+) with an above-average wRC+ throughout the season. He paired that strong belt with superior defense at second base and showed the ability to be an above-average defensive stopper before being hit with a milestone by the team’s signing of Swanson back in 2023.
Combined, Hoerner has earned 19.6 bWAR and 17.5 fWAR over the past four seasons. That consistent production of four to five wins at the top is attractive, especially since Hoerner is slated to make an affordable $12MM salary this year.
The Mariners, Giants, and Yankees are among the teams linked to him in a trade so far. Even though teams have come calling for Hoerner, however, the Cubs can’t seem to deal with him. Signing one player just to trade another would diminish the upside provided by signing Bregman, so it’s no surprise that The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma suggested the Cubs should “wind blown” to face Hoerner.
Perhaps, then, trading Shaw to a team where he can get consistent playing time in an effort to add more impact to the roster or improve a flagging farm system would be the best course of action available to the Cubs. Shaw has six years under his belt and will make it to the minor leagues in 2026, meaning he could be a good fit for many teams that may be looking to upgrade their offense at lower rates. The Pirates, Guardians, Royals, Athletics, Angels, and Nationals were all teams that struggled to find production in the second or third base last year and could enjoy Shaw’s years of control and an affordable price tag.
However, it comes with risks. Shaw’s value has arguably declined compared to this time last year, when he was a consensus top 30 baseball player. Additionally, Hoerner’s status as a pending free agent would make a trade for Shaw more of a risk if not paired with a Hoerner extension. The upcoming free agent class is fairly deep in middle-of-the-pack talent (Ha-Seong Kim, JP Crawford, Jazz Chisholm Jr.) but successfully finding one of those players is not a guarantee. The team’s internal options behind Shaw are a no-brainer, too. James Triantos he has been one of the team’s better prospects but had a rough season in Triple-A last year that calls into question his prospect status. Jefferson Rojas had a solid year in 2025 but may not be ready for the big leagues in 2027.
How do MLBTR readers think the Cubs will handle their infield logjam? Will they work out a trade involving Shaw or Hoerner before Opening Day, or will they simply carry both players into the season despite the lack of available playing time? Have your say in the poll below:
