The Cubs have optioned third baseman Matt Shaw to Triple-A Iowa, reports Keith Law of The Athletic. That’s part of a larger slate of moves, relayed by Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. Infielder Vidal Bruján has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. On the pitching side, the club recalled left-hander Luke Little and right-hander Daniel Palencia. To make room for those two, righty Nate Pearson has been optioned to Iowa as well, while righty Eli Morgan has been placed on the 15-day IL due to an elbow impingement.
Shaw, 23, came into the season as one of the top prospects in the league. The club clearly believed he was worthy of a shot at the majors, as they traded Isaac Paredes to the Astros as part of the Kyle Tucker deal in the offseason. That didn’t guarantee Shaw a spot on the Opening Day roster but it opened a door for him, which he walked through. He cracked the club’s roster ahead of the Tokyo Series and has been serving as their regular third baseman up until this point.
The results have been mixed. Across his 68 plate appearances thus far, he has drawn a walk in 14.7% of them, but he’s also been struck out at a 26.5% clip. He has a tepid .172/.294/.241 batting line, though with a .231 batting average on balls in play. That number is on the unlucky side but Shaw hasn’t been doing himself many favors in terms of putting good wood on the ball. His 82.7 mile per hour average exit velocity in the second percentile of qualified MLB hitters, per Statcast. His hard-hit rate is in the fifth percentile, his bat speed in the tenth and his barrel rate 15th. His defense has also been a bit of a question mark. In 141 innings at third base thus far, he already has four errors.
All of that is surely less than the Cubs were hoping for, as he destroyed minor league pitching. After getting selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Shaw got into 159 minor league games between that draft selection and the end of the 2024 season. He had solid walk and strikeout rates of 10.2% and 17.3% respectively while slashing .303/.384/.522 for a 157 wRC+. 35 of those games were at the Triple-A level last year and he hit .298/.395/.534 in those, building the case that he was ready for a major league debut.
Shaw is yet another example of a top prospect who didn’t immediately click at the major league level. While some may jump to declare Shaw a “bust”, this sort of thing is actually quite common. A classic example is Mike Trout, who hit .220/.281/.390 in his first 135 plate appearances back in 2011. It can’t be assumed that a prospect will immediately succeed when reaching the majors for the first time, nor does it mean that they won’t ever find success down the line.
Sending Shaw down is defensible in a vacuum, given his struggles. But outside the vacuum, it’s unclear who the Cubs can turn to as a better option for the hot corner. Bruján has a .189/.261/.270 batting line in his career. Justin Turner has lots of third base experience but is now 40 years old. He’s been more of a first base/designated hitter type in recent years, with just 90 innings at the hot corner since the end of the 2022 season. He’s also having his own struggles at the plate this year, with a .172/.286/.172 line thus far. Jon Berti is a 35-year-old veteran utility guy. Gage Workman is a Rule 5 guy who has received just ten plate appearances thus far this year and has been punched out in five of them.
It’s possible this is just a short-term situation and Shaw will be back up with the big league club soon. How long it takes for his return will be significant for him and the club. By cracking the Opening Day roster, he was on pace to get a full year of service time in 2025. That would have meant qualifying for arbitration after 2027 and free agency after 2030. A quick return to the majors could still make those targets viable. A major league season is 187 days long but a player needs just 172 days in the big leagues or on the injured list to get credited with a full year. It’s also possible for Shaw to qualify for arbitration after 2027 even with less than three years of service time, as he could reach Super Two status.
If Shaw doesn’t return fairly quickly, those timelines will be pushed one year into the future. It will also take off the possibility of the Cubs earning an extra draft pick via the prospect promotion incentive. Under the PPI rules, teams can earn an extra pick by carrying a top prospect on the roster long enough to earn a full service year. The Cubs put that on the table initially by giving Shaw an Opening Day job but it will no longer apply if he’s down for a few weeks.
Photo courtesy of Sergio Estrada, Imagn Images
Finally.
Luke Little with the 104 mile per hour fastball?
No, retread Daniel palencia up for umpteenth time- till he gets blasted again!
Yes 104 MPH fastball Like Little. And absolutely no freakin idea where he’s throwing it right now.
Whatever happened to Sidd Finch anyway?
A little Berti told me.
Dansby is hitting 180 you are a sick individual
Probably activating Brujan.
Brujan isn’t going to help them. They sure could use Paredes right now. Or maybe even Cam Smith. Tucker though, has been the main spark to the offense.
I hope they intend to give Workman a shot.
DejaVu with every prospect they have ever had. Bring them up and if no instant success send him down to never be heard from again. Thought maybe they learned something from PCA but……..NOT. Well played boys. I can’t think of a worse place to be than a Cubs prospect. You get treated like a disease. Feel sorry for Workman. He obviously won’t get a shot either.
Seems to me that having sent PCA down was completely correct and enabled them to bring a better player back up. This is not the end of Shaw’s Cub career.
Tell that to Matt Mervis and Canario, Estrada, And Bigge.
Try being a Yankees prospect. You get mock traded for every superstar.
Come on, Unc… Mervis and Canario have a couple of good games after stinking up their shots with the Cubs and suddenly they’re rock stars? I hope they do well, but they both had decent shots with the Cubs and basically sucked.
Unc, I’m hearing that Bryant, Rizzo, Baez, Sandberg, Happ, Steele, Hendricks, W Contreras and a so many other ‘Cub prospects’ would like to have a word with you.
You know Cub history better than that. Ready . . . Fire . . Aim . . .
Kyle Schwarber and Ian Happ were sent down to AAA after their MLB debuts, among others. Each of them benefitted greatly from their demotion.
have to go with Turner and get him going. The Trout comparison is nice, but getting sent down has to be disheartening. Im Trout of here. (Trout forgot how to hit too this April.)
Now that I think about it, I agree with you. Even though Tucker has been good, the Cubs, shouldn’t have made that trade. You are spot on about that.
Hope Workman can get some consistent ABs at 3B now. Worth a look, Shaw has seemed lost since ST and his defense isn’t adding any value.
Workman has a reputation as a strong defender and baserunner, and he was tearing the cover off the ball in ST.
If you don’t mind three or four strikeouts per game, sure, give Workman consistent at-bats. Lots of lousy players hit the cover off the ball in spring training.
And yet clubs make roster decisions based off Spring performances all the time. I never said it meant he was going to be an All-Star but a guy known for strong defense hitting well in ST against (some) ML pitching is not a bad sign.
He can’t be any worse than Shaw was. If he somehow manages to be, then you give him back to the Tigers. It’s ridiculous to waste a roster spot hiding him on the bench.
@ robert-5,
I agree that it’s ridiculous wasting a roster spot on Gage Workman. The Cubs never should have drafted him in the first place if they’re serious about contending this season.
Yes. Why would a serious team make such a lame Rule 5 pick anyway? And we had to read his name all winter and spring as an option for the Cubs infield. Brett Taylor in particular kept talking in his usual ain’t-I-smart way about him as if he were somebody. I hope he is the next one to go.
@Robert5
For your mental health, don’t even try to use logic with Alan, or especially DescenzoMob. All they ever come up with is constant criticism –
I don’t know about Dascenzo, but when I am critical it’s because I have loved the Cubs for 65 years, and want them to do well–and being a fan is not blindly approving of everything the FO does; it is applying one’s critical thinking skills, and it is caring. The funniest thing I read from people who diss me is that I am anti-Cubs troll. I might be right sometimes, or I might be wrong, but I ain’t that.
Why do you assume Workman will be a “lousy” player?
@ El Kabong,
My assumption is based on three things:
1. The Tigers left him unprotected for the Rule 5 Draft, meaning that they didn’t think very highly of him.
2. He’s 25 years old and has never played above the AA level in the minor leagues.
3. In 1765 minor league at-bats, he has 655 strikeouts. That means he has struck out in more than one-third of his minor league at-bats, none of which occurred above the AA level.
Why do you assume Workman won’t be a lousy player?
I’m not assuming anything. However, I think it’s weird and sad that some people choose to be hostile toward young people pursuing their dreams. Why are you so negative about a player you’ve barely seen play?
@ El Kabong,
Are you Gage’s mom? Are you the one who decided that his middle name should be Tater? How is quoting statistics a hostile act? Why do you confuse my realism with negativity?
People who scout players for a living do more than look at statistics. You seem determined to label Workman a bum before giving him a chance. You’re trying to win an argument that is unwinnable at this point in the player’s career. Could you give it a rest? It’s a long season; the Cubs are off to an excellent start and have plenty of time to adjust their roster as the season progresses.
@ El Kabong,
Please share the scouting report you have on Gage Workman indicating that his “Will to Win” will negate his 37% strikeout rate. Pointing out this very significant flaw doesn’t equate to labeling him a bum. If you actually think Workman is a realistic long-term third base option for the Cubs, then I question your judgment. So would most scouts. If the Rickettses weren’t so penny-wise-dollar-foolish, I’d be more optimistic about player upgrades.
Wow Doug, you really know how to hit a person below the belt. I feel sorry for your family.
@ BadMojo,
Only the most thin-skinned of people would think that I hit anybody below the belt. I’m not an easily satisfied Cubs fan, whereas most Cubs fans are. It’s that simple. No need to feel sorry for mia famiglia as there is nothing to feel sorry about.
You failed.to mention that Workman cut his strike out rate each year. A high strikeout rate is not desirable, but if he produces in the other 70-75% of his ABs, he can still be a quality player.
@BadMojo
LMAO at your evaluation of Descenzo. My sentiments exactly. He seems, such a joy.
Stymeedone, thank you.
Cutting your K rate from an awful 40% down to 30% may not indicate future HOFer but plenty of good players strikeout a lot in this era. It’s still an improvement. Seiya strikes out a lot too.
Gage also improved his BB rate last year. LH bat and a strong defender, why not give him a shot while Shaw works on his offense at AAA.
Holy crap! His middle name really is “Tater”! I thought you were joking. He’ll be back in Erie by the Fourth of July.
Doug Dascenzo’s Mob Boss Dad
Only the most thin-skinned of people would think that I hit anybody below the belt.
====================
I agree 100%. BB is more a game of numbers than any other sport. He is a 40 FV and was the Cubs #20 prospect. He had a 190 K/600 ABs rate last year, in AA, at age 24.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with questioning whether or not he can play. Every team in BB has 2-3 prospects with ‘some’ power and a 200-K resume.
I agree here, give workman some starts, see what he has, if he flails until Shaw can be recalled, he gets sent back to Detroit or whatever rule 5 limbo is.
If he’s good, great, if he isn’t, Shaw comes back up.
What’s with the Gage Workman hate? There’s value with a versatile player like him despite the penchant for striking out. Think Patrick Wisdom with far better defense and base running skills.
Workman also has an opportunity to improve his bat to ball skills considering he never played above AA when the Cubs selected him in the Rule 5 Draft. He’ll have a chance now to show his value with the Matt Shaw demotion. Workman could also sent to AAA next year if he continues to struggle offensively assuming he sticks on the Cubs MLB roster or the team works out some sort of trade agreement with the Tigers in order to keep him.
It’s not as if the Cubs currently have a clear cut favorite for their future 3B either. Ideally Shaw should be in the conversation as their core 2B along with James Triantos. One of them should emerge as their heir apparent to Nico Hoerner while the other could become prime trade bait, perhaps helping to fetch an ace like Sandy Alcántara by the summer trade deadline.
Aaron, it’s always easy to pick on the 24th or 25th man on the roster. The value of him at that spot is pretty significant—but seems that a lot of people expect the next man up to slot in like an all star #3 hitter.
Very interested in seeing today’s lineup—and boy, do the Suzuki and Kelly injuries sting on a day like today. With the off day tomorrow would really like to see some combination of Amaya, Happ, Dansby, get an extra day off their feet. Perhaps Nico at short and Berti at second today. Brujan in left?
But on the flip side—and it’s not too early to think this—the last two season the Cubs have had about one of twelve tiebreakers going down the stretch and it would be nice to put the Padres tiebreaker in the back pocket today—you just never know…and especially after the last two seasons.
Yeah, this was definitely coming. He looked over-matched at the plate. He’ll be back at some point, but a stint at Triple A won’t hurt.
I’d leave him down there until September. He clearly needs to be down there for an extended period to make multiple adjustments
The results weren’t mixed they were poor. Thats why he’s now in AAA……
Cubs also recalled Daniel Palencia and Luke Little. I think Eli Morgan was optioned as well as Nate Pearson was optioned
Jammer- Palencia was actually looking better at throwing the ball over the plate and getting people out. Little however has just as bad control as ever so I’m assuming the they’re trying to scare every hitter he faces. Morgan is on the IL and Pearson was optioned. Then we’re going to have Tyson Miller soon. This bullpen was put together with Band Aids like every other Hoyer Bullpen. They should have Little pitch in one of those Michael Myers masks.
I’d be scared of Luke Little too. Plus he’s not exactly a little dude. It’s like naming a bull mastiff Picito and a dachshund Hercules. Lol. I wish they never traded Hunter Bigge. Would’ve been fun to see a Little Bigge as a set up man and closer.
If Little can improve his control even a bit–is it such a bad thing to have a pitcher who scares the hitters some?
Ray Epps and myself are very happy to see Luke Little back with the big club.
Can you imagine getting drilled in the middle of your back and look out at the mound and see that Michael Myers mask staring back at you? I’d probably quit. LOL
Cubs put themselves in a position where they are playing to win this season yet rely on a rookie 3rd baseman. That didn’t work so now they’re down to a Rule V draft pick and an ancient veteran.
Typical Cubs
Ummm Vidal Brujan is only 27.
Pretty sure the ancient veteran he was referring to is Justin Turner.
Yes I know. I was just being a smartass..
Jammer-Yeah but Brujan sucks. Is Shaw REALLY worse?
Relax, save the doom and gloom for when the Cubs are actually doing poorly.
All things considered with regards to their schedule in April, I’d say they’re doing great.
Hey bitter. How did Jackson Merrill and the Padres do last season?
How is Kyle Tucker doing this season?
Enjoy Tucker for his one year. by the way how good would Wesneski look in a Cubs uniform with all this crap going on? I’m not saying, I’m just saying.
I am enjoying my one year of Kyle Tucker and I’m ready for a big dose of Jordan Wicks.
Yeah what a bummer huh. The Cubs are in first place, beating good to great teams, and Tucker went 2 for 5 again last night.
I like Berti’s game; he’s surely better than Mastro or some others we have had in his role. I think Brujan was pesky-good with the Marlins too. Let’s give them both some playing time and see what happens….I like Workman less, though he is going to get his shot, so I hope he can make something of it.
Unclemike1526
Enjoy Tucker for his one year. by the way how good would Wesneski look in a Cubs uniform
=========================
The question is, would the Cubs be better off with Tucker in RF, or having Smith in RF, Wesneski in the rotation, and Paredes at 3rd?
I could make a pretty good argument that they’d be better off with the latter three.
They would have Bellinger in RF. Cam Smith would be in AA, maybe AAA where the Cubs are crowded with prospects there. Wesneski would be shuttling back and forth to Iowa because they have Rea and Assad. So, basically the same team they had last year.
Berti has looked good so far and the Cubs are doing well. The sky is not falling (yet).
Win what? lol
Shaw was my nl roy pick but clearly not ready yet
So, you’re the one that jinxed him. Get outta here!
You’re no friend of mine.
Not expected but not against this.
Workman needs a clear look. Brujan can give PCA a game off also.
PCA had a far worse first stint and now he with the league leaders in WAR. Shaw just needs to take what he learned. Readjust to it and show that he is dominating Iowa.
Jed has done this rodeo before
It’s the right move. Shaw was really overmatched. Brett Taylor, Michael Cerami, and other shills tried to talk him into competency, but it just isn’t there, not yet. Hopefully he’ll be back.
In the meantime, as much as some of ya filthy animals seem to hate him for some reason–Brujan is better. And Berti certainly is.
Not sure what the hapless Workman is still doing on the team–I know, I know, but why think twice about letting the Tigers have him back? He is waaaay below major-league ability.
And we’ll soon see if Little and Palencia can find the plate.
the Jed shills really put in overtime trying to convince us that Shaw could handle the hot corner.
We never bought it.
Not a fan of this move..yeah he was struggling..but 68 a.b as opposed to killing his confidence..should of never been on the opening day roster or you give him a legit shot to figure it out before sending him down..would of like to seen at least 150 a.b before making this move imo
I’m not sure getting sent down is worse for your confidence than playing poorly, agreed that it was a short leash though.
His exit velocity was in the bottom 2%. This was a we are contending not babysitting move.
Can’t miss super prospects Shaw and Crews have done their best to screw up my roto team. lol
Does Pearson have 7 option years?
Easiest to hit 100mph in baseball.
Cubs need pitchers. Not hard tossers
My point is, this is the 5th straight year he has been optioned to the minors at least once. I thought the max was 3?
2022 and 2024 don’t count because the player has to be optioned longer than 14 days total in a season. Pearson has one option left for this year and it looks like it will be used.
The max is usually three, but a fourth option can be requested if the player has not been a professional long enough. Shaw would qualify in 2028 if he is optioned in the next couple of seasons, too.
Cubs made a LITTLE move to their pitching staff.
Pshaw!
I don’t understand how he can expect to have any kind of success with that kind of batting stance. It’s unathletic and guarantees that he is either late or jammed on every pitch. This is the Cub’s top prospect?
Reynaldo I was shocked too when I saw that. Obviously MLB pitchers feasted on the holes in his swing. His plate coverage suffers as a result of the extreme coil. He will need to make major adjustments in order to return to the bigs.
Under Hoyer this mediocre team has a .486 winning percentage in 5 years. No bench, no pitching. But they lead the league in rebuilds.
Just means that anybody regardless of minor league performance can and should be traded. When will baseball pundits quit over hyping cubs prospects?
Putting all their eggs in one basket after trading both 3b parades and smith plus wisnewski as throw-in, way to go Jed!
Wisnewski?
good point. they gutted all their options at 3rd and told us Shaw would handle it. well, he isn’t.
It’s sad that he was sent down, but I’m happy as a cards fan
Seems everyone Shaw that coming.
His bat speed is the 10th percentile in the league. He doesn’t have the elite bat speed to survive in the majors.
and he still has to coil up like a snake to generate his power.
really unsustainable approach,
unsurprisingly MLB pitchers ate him alive, like a snake.
Get that damn Workman off the field.
It’s neat that the Cubs are celebrating Jackie Robinson Day by dropping pop-ups.
Who did the cubs get for Jeremiah Estrada and was this done with Jed hoyer?
They got nobody, Bruce. Same as they got for Jason Adam.
There are plenty of veteran 3B in AAA with various clubs that Chicago can make a deal for if Shaw & Co. don’t pan out. Someone like Abraham Toro who is playing for Boston, but has no path to the majors. He’s tearing the cover off the ball in AAA so far this year and he plays a pretty solid 3B. It would only cost a mid-level prospect at best to acquire him or someone of his ilk.
they traded Cam Smith and told me this guy was the 3B of the future?
eh, I’m not buyin’ it.
No problem. Call up Corey Patterson. He’ll take the spot. As easy as Felix Pie
Even though SHAW got SHANKED.
He’ll be working on REDEMPTION !!
Are you being obtuse?
Check the standings Cubs fans! You’re in first by 1 1/2 games and leading the majors in RS, by far! Enjoy the early success
The Cubs are 12-8, leading the NL Central, have scored the most runs in baseball, have the highest run deferential in baseball despite playing the Dodgers, Padres, Rangers, Diamondbacks and A’s and yet Cub “fans” are complaining about Shaw being sent down.
Run diff is inflated by runs scored against non-pitchers
No, Allan, it’s really not. The Cubs have faced ONE position player and that was is when they were blowing out the Dodgers 11-0.
So knowing all of that, That the Cubs were still winning the reason to pull the plug on the kid was ……………What exactly? Especially when an easier part of the schedule is coming up. Once again it’s the Cubs FO not willing to deal with the growing pains prospects have. And please don’t give me the nonsense about how it builds confidence. Building confidence would have been letting the kid figure it out himself. They are morons.
Yeah. They didn’t let Busch, PCA or Amaya go through any growing pains…
Shaw was struggling, needs to rework his swing a little bit and Brujan needed to be activated. They are allowing Workman to go through growing pains because he is not optionally. Jesus use your brain a little bit.
Apparently I’m not the only one.
msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/really-disappointing-cubs…
Use my head? I am.
Cool. You found another article written by a moron who doesn’t understand the Cubs roster situation.
The Cubs needed a roster spot on the 26 man roster, who should they have sent down? Amaya? PCA? Busch? Or should they have DFA’d Brujan, Workman or Berti?
You can waa, waa, waa all you like but apparently the Cubs see something in Workman and want to give him as much time as they possibly can.
DFA’d Brujan. Duh
And have no back up center fielder. Duh
This is typical you, speaking out of both sides of your mouth. It’s always the wrong move if you disagree with it and you call the front office morons. You completely ignore any facts that contradict your opinion, like the Cubs rolling with PCA’s struggles, Amayas struggles, Busch’s struggles even Morel getting a long leash last season at third.
Who’s been the B/U CF when he wasn’t here? I’m assuming it would be the same guy and not to mention Alcantara is a Buddy Holly airplane ride away in Iowa. So again, Duh.
So, in your scenario, Shaw would be up, Brujan would be DFA, so who gets send down if PCA needs a day off or gets banged up a bit? So again, Duh. And then you would complain about Alcantara being sent back down.
Your logic is ridiculous. If PCA would have gotten hurt before Brujan was activated, Happ would have been in center.
Suzuki was a little banged up for a couple days, it left the Cubs with no viable outfield back up if anyone got hurt. Berti would have been in a corner outfield position. You don’t really think before you post, you just complain and then make stupid arguments that you think makes you look smart but it doesn’t.
Well so far your arguments against me haven’t proven anything is flawed about my logic and Brujan is a POS. He won’t hit any better than Shaw, IF PCA needs a day Suzuki can play CF for a day and if PCA gets injured Alcantara takes his place. So 1) You can’t bring a guy up for 1 day, again Duh, Alcantara is on the 40 so no move necessary there and Hoyer again proves he knows nothing about roster construction, Contracts( Mr NMC) and or bullpens so again Duh, Duh , And Finally Duh.
You can’t bring up Alcantara for a day because someone would have to be removed from the 26 man. Duh. Guys who get optioned have to stay down a minimum about of time. Duh.
You’re the only one that is showing they don’t know anything about roster construction. Duh.
You just proved you can’t read because I just said you can’t bring up a guy for one day in the post above so for 37th time DUH. Most people would quit while they’re behind.
And yet here you are.
Why don’t you read what I wrote? You cannot call up ALCANTARA for a day because someone would have to be optioned and remain in the minors for x amount of time.
Players literally get called up for a day all the freaking time. Look at Luke Little.
I get you’re really stupid and angry and it’s cute when you try to talk like you know what you’re talking about. It’s like listening to my 8 year old nephew.
Yet you still haven’t made a legitimate point that anything I said was wrong. So you’re 8 year old nephew probably says Duh to you a lot also. If you ever make a point as to why Brujan is a better player than Shaw, Or that the Cubs haven’t screwed over many of their prospects and wasted others in dumb trades, Feel free to make it. Or explain to me anything that proves Hoyer remotely knows what he’s doing finer. Otherwise stay a sheep and believe any pablum they throw at you. Baaaaaaaaa IIIIIIIIII
Wonder if Jed would admit mistake when given chance to sign Matt Chapman for nothing instead opting for brujan, workman or berti in the cheap, he’d do it again.
And for that matter do u believe the dbacks will let Suarez go when they visit the cubs again this weekend because after all Suarez not very long ago was also available. And the list goes on- parades, smith, bregman!