The Cubs announced their roster for Tuesday night’s season opener against the Dodgers at the Tokyo Dome (relayed by Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network). As expected, Chicago officially promoted top third base prospect Matt Shaw. They designated reliever Keegan Thompson for assignment to clear the necessary 40-man roster spot. That move was foreshadowed when they left the out-of-options righty off their travel roster last week. Chicago also placed righty Javier Assad on the 15-day injured list with a left oblique strain.
Shaw’s promotion, while telegraphed once the Cubs announced he’d travel with the team to Tokyo, is the most significant of these transactions. The 23-year-old infielder figures to start at third base against Dodgers righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto in what’ll be his major league debut. It was a quick rise through the minors for the Maryland product. The Cubs drafted him 13th overall in 2023. Shaw hit .357 in 38 games in the low minors during his draft year. He continued to rake upon making the move to Double-A to start the ’24 campaign.
The righty-hitting infielder played in 86 games at the Double-A level. He hit .279/.373/.468 to earn a promotion to Triple-A Iowa in August. He performed even better at the top minor league level, closing the year with a .298/.395/.534 slash with seven homers across 35 contests. The Cubs cleared a path for him to take over the hot corner when they dealt Isaac Paredes to Houston as part of the Kyle Tucker blockbuster.
Chicago made a late-offseason push for Alex Bregman as a short-term deal became a legitimate possibility. Once Bregman agreed to terms with the Red Sox on a three-year contract, the hot corner became Shaw’s job to lose. While six exhibition games weren’t likely to move the needle one way or the other, he didn’t hurt his case by collecting five hits and three walks with only one strikeout in 19 Spring Training plate appearances.
Shaw is the consensus choice as the top prospect in a strong Cubs system. He ranks among the top 50 prospects in the sport at each of Baseball America, FanGraphs (Eric Longenhagen), MLB Pipeline, ESPN (Kiley McDaniel), and The Athletic (Keith Law). The various scouting reports project Shaw as a potential 25-homer bat with the ability to hit for a high average, though McDaniel and Longenhagen each express minor concern with his propensity for chasing sliders on the outer half. Shaw is regarded as a plus runner who should be capable of sticking on the infield.
A middle infielder by trade, Shaw will play mostly third base with Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner having the middle infield secured. Hoerner did not travel to Tokyo as he finishes his rehab from October flexor tendon surgery. The Cubs have maintained hope that Hoerner will be ready for next Thursday’s domestic Opening Day. Jon Berti seems the likeliest option to start these two games in his place.
Shaw easily qualifies for the prospect criterion (on at least two of the preseason Top 100 lists at Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, and ESPN) of the CBA’s Prospect Promotion Incentive. Assuming he sticks on the Cubs’ roster for a full service year, the team would receive an extra draft choice after the first round if Shaw either wins Rookie of the Year or finishes top three in MVP balloting within his first three seasons. Shaw will be under club control through 2030 and will qualify for arbitration during the 2027-28 offseason if he holds his active roster spot. If he struggles and the Cubs option him back to the minors, that could obviously change his free agent trajectory.
While Shaw is the higher-profile rookie, he’s not the only Cub infielder in line to make his MLB debut. Rule 5 pick Gage Workman also made the Opening Day roster. Chicago grabbed the left-handed hitter out of the Detroit system in December. A fourth-round pick out of Arizona State in 2020, Workman is coming off .280/.366/.476 slash with 18 homers and 30 stolen bases in Double-A. He has never played at the top minor league level.
Workman couldn’t have done much more in camp to force the Cubs to hang onto him. He drilled three homers, stole as many bases, and hit .424 in 15 Spring Training games. Workman has an intriguing combination of power and athleticism. He’s a capable defender on the left side of the infield. The question is whether he’ll make enough contact to stick on the MLB roster. Workman fanned at a 27.5% clip last season and has a career 32.9% strikeout rate.
Teams must keep Rule 5 draftees on the MLB roster or injured list for the entire season to retain their long-term contractual rights. They’d otherwise need to be placed on waivers and, if unclaimed, be offered back to their original organization. The Cubs have Berti, Workman, Justin Turner and the out-of-options Vidal Bruján working off the bench. They probably won’t be able to roster all four players once Hoerner is healthy, but they’re each on the team for the two-game set in Tokyo.
Image courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images.
Does this mean Gage Workman will be returned to the Tigers? Fingers crossed.
He made the Cubs 26 man roster
Not surprising, Hoerner’s injury allows them to kick the can down the road.
Brujan has shown no reason for the Cubs to keep him. I’m surprised he wasn’t dropped before the trip to Japan.
He actually has had a good spring training, showing speed and versatility and at least a little offense. Workman is more Hoyer’s type, though–I’ll say no more–so poor Brujan probably gets released when Hoerner returns.
Brujan is the Cubs’ version of Gabriel Arias of CLE. Out of options, has never hit at the major league level, but has had a decent spring. I don’t expect either to be with their teams beyond May.
Agree. But Hoyer will roster a marginal light-skinned player over a marginal dark-skinned player every time. That is why the Cubs are annually last in MLB in CPS.
You need some help, Alan53
I’m tired of arguing. Just look at the active roster. And look at who they’ve cut loose in one way or another during the past year. It’s obvious. And I’m sorry that it is, for some reason, so deeply threatening to you guys.
As for me needing help, I certainly can use some financial help. Anything you can spare.
Brujan’s good ST includes a .297 OBP in 37 PA, a .219 BA, and 11 K against pitching that on average was better than AA level but not quite as good as AAA level. It’s not enough.
In short he did nothing to distinguish his performance this spring from any other episode of failure that’s left him at –1.4 bWAR in 550 PA and a career 49 OPS+ in MLB..
If this ST was a test of whether Brujan could ever bring his solid minor league numbers past AAA, he failed to do so yet again. It’s too bad, but he’s gotten a lot of chances thanks to a top 100 prospect status that’s long gone.
@Alan53 Unfortunately, Brujan’s not particularly good ST includes a .297 OBP in 37 PA, a .219 BA, and 11 K against pitching that on average was better than AA level but not quite as good as AAA level. It’s not enough.
In short he did nothing to distinguish his performance this spring from any other episode of failure that’s left him at –1.4 bWAR in 550 PA and a career 49 OPS+ in MLB..
If this ST was a test of whether Brujan could ever bring his solid minor league numbers past AAA, he failed to do so yet again. It’s too bad, but he’s gotten a lot of chances thanks to a top 100 prospect status that’s long gone.
Agree. But Workman surely will flame out quickly, and he gets a chance. There were better extra infielders available, but Hoyer was clueless as always.
And just between us, this team is going to get off to a terrible start and never contend for anything.
The Cubs and Dodgers have 31-man rosters.
26 man roster with 5 man taxi squad? Workman made 26 man roster.
Not this week
Lol. Scott Harris is awesome.
He stalled out at AA with the Tigers. Don’t get me wrong there are lots of others I wish they would have turned but I get why they exposed him.
If they don’t keep him on their 26 man roster they must offer him back to Detroit for half their money back. Tigers would certainly take him back. He wouldn’t necessarily have to go on the Tigers 40 man roster unless they decided to bring him up.
He has to go through waivers first before he is offered back to the Tigers. If a team claims (or trades for) him, Rule 5 still applies and he stays on their 26 man roster. If not, the Tigers can buy him back and he can be outrighted to AAA off the 40 man roster.
Cubs are going to be a problem in a year or two. Farm has quality depth coming. Sustainable cost controlled success is the name of the game because I and the brilliant Ivy League gms who run every single mlb team all no spending doesn’t equal winning and there’s absolutely no debate about it don’t bother replying either if it was true the Yankees or dodgers would play in the World Series every year for the last 15 years. End of debate.
“Know”
Psst! Farm kids are not that good…
@ThatsIT? That’s it? That is a genuinely, almost singularly pitiful misstatement of the proven correlation between spending and winning. No one except you asserts the claim that ‘spending equals winning.’
In fact the claim is that higher spending has a statistically significant correlation to more wins.
As you go through life you’ll probably find that being deceitful about what others are saying serves you—and them—poorly. Don’t do it. It’s not worth it. And even if you ‘win’ the argument, you won’t have won the argument.
Remember when one of the writers on here went strictly off Keegan Thompson’s stat line last year and said he was a “near lock” to make the roster. Hahaha. What a lock!
I laughed out loud
I do remember that because it seemed to be based on nothing. He is a 30 yr old who has already lost mph to his fastball and bite to his breaking balls.
Here’s the paragraph of poor research/writing:
The Cubs entered spring training this year with their bullpen largely set. Offseason trade acquisitions of Ryan Pressly and Ryan Brasier added a pair of veteran righties — including a closer, Pressly — to the late-inning mix. Chicago signed lefty Caleb Thielbar to a one-year, $2.75MM deal. That trio joined Porter Hodge, Tyson Miller and Keegan Thompson as virtual locks. All three holdovers pitched very well in 2024, and the latter two are out of minor league options.
So someone was wrong. Let it go. Life moves on.
I get that, but when someone presents himself as an expert, and has so obviously done a superficial job of research and interpretation–it is not wrong to call that out.
There is nothing wrong with being wrong. Being so small and petty to bring it to everybody else’s attention though, that speaks volumes!
Predictions are just that. Hundreds of scouts have been wrong on ballplayers throughout history.
It’s not about being wrong, it’s about presenting something as likely to happen even when it was very unlikely to happen. It was lack of research and poor journalism.
This is several levels beyond pathetic, cryin Ryan.
I felt that it was going to be either Miller or Thompson ass canned. Both are chumps that Jed loves stockpiling.
Miller should be next when the roster goes from 31->26.
I’m very happy with the confidence that Shaw is ready for the bigs. Can’t wait to see the sort of year the Cubs will have.
I am too even though I am a stinky Reds fan. I just hope it’s either the Cubs or the Reds who win it this year.
Shaws gonna rake and is a shoo in for rook. What can go wrong?
It’s all up to Shaw now. Hopefully he continues his growth from the minors, now at the big league level.
Quite the matador at the hot corner today. Ole!
Sasaki might be tough to beat there. Last year proves this. Voters love mega stars more and will vote that way
Workman has had a terrific spring, offensively and defensively.
As a Tigers fan I was sad to see him go. He has always been good defensively but wasn’t much of a hitter. He changed his hitting mechanics last yr and hit much better. If he can keep his strike outs in check you might have gotten a real steal!!!
I like that he seems to be able to use the whole field.
Let’s Go scrubbies
I thought that said scabbies at first. Ouch.
Shaw will be a bust.
Too bad MLB still has stupid blackout restrictions (which i thought Manfred was getting rid of) I gotta watch the Tokyo series on a 3rd party stream. It’s on Fox but the glaze the Dodgers way too much.
You got this!
Yeah. I got the game on. The biggest issue is the stream is 3-4 pitches behind.
Yeah, local FOX channel here threw the broadcast to a subchannel on another station. Didn’t find it until the 9th inning, but guess I didn’t miss anything.
FOX has other butts to kiss, you know.
Nope. 4IP No hit but 4BB for Shōta. Cubs pitching talked 8 while the cubs walked once. Which was to lead off the game.
Props to Gage Workman! Nice job, kid. Congrats.
I was rooting for you! Keep it going!
If Shaw and Workman both prove they can fill those holes long term, the NLC is theirs to lose this year
The Cubs’ promotion of Matt Shaw is not just about filling a need at third base—it’s a calculated financial and strategic move under the new CBA’s Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI). By ensuring that Shaw starts the season on the Opening Day roster, the Cubs maximize their chances of securing an extra draft pick if he wins Rookie of the Year or places top three in MVP voting in his first three seasons. Given his high prospect rankings and offensive potential, this is a strong hedge for the front office: even if Shaw doesn’t reach those accolades, they’ve locked in a controllable asset through 2030 while betting on a potential high-value draft compensation.
This promotion of Shaw is definitely NOT “a calculated financial and strategic move” under any of Manfred’s ideas.
Tell me who you would rather start there. Cam Smith, , , oh wait – they gave him away! Berti or Brujan, lol. Between Shaw and Gageman, what has Shaw not done to deserve this opportunity.
The odds are highly against Shaw or any rookie to win Rookie of the Year or finishing top three in MVP over three seasons. It is not calculated nor strategic. If either happens it’s good luck for a guy that happens to be the best option for the position today!
Heck, something could happen and Gage Workman could win the Rookie of the Year. Same scenario.
Wouldn’t be a bad move by the Reds to claim Keegan Thompson off the waiver wire, as they have an open roster spot. Then late next week try to slip him through waivers and outright him.. At the least another good depth piece.
His FIP (4.51) is more revealing than his ERA (3.64), though his FIP in 2023-2024, 4.14, is ordinary rather than abysmal.
At the same time Thompson’s BABIP in 2023-2024 is flukishly, freakishly low, at least 40 points lower than the career figure for someone like Clayton Kershaw.
He’s been lucky, in short, rather than good or even legitimately mediocre. He’s even been noticeably lucky on fly balls not turning into HR. Neutralized for luck, he’d be useful as something like the Reds’ #12 or #14 reliever on their depth chart. You can’t walk 5.3 or 6.0 per 9 and expect regular work. Plus, he’s turning 30. That’s not a guy you want to bet will figure it out. Still, guys who give you a 4.50 ERA in 30 innings have value in that they keep off the mound guys who are even worse.
Certainly looked like a rookie today, but so did Counsell and only one of them has an excuse.
Armchair Managers FTW!
Actually, pulling a starter after 4 that didn’t allow a hit and threw only 69 pitches FTL
That was indeed curious.
I wonder how many opening day pitchers go past 70 pitches on their first outing.
It’s still technically spring training. Why on earth would he throw more? So he can tear up his arm before he’s been stretched out?
It’s technically the regular season.
He’s gone 4 innings twice already in spring training. I’m not saying he should be out there throwing 7 (unless they were remarkably clean) but he looked good enough to extend at least through 5.
There we go again, with that “B” name.
Barf
Barf
Barglf
Please,please,please quit writing that name into every single article….
If an Eskimo farts, does it somehow invlove that dude?
If an Eskimo farts in the woods, does it make a sound?
Watching him at the plate, a bit of a throwback 80s batting stance.
It seems insane that they traded away Cam Smith for a one year rental. They could’ve had Smith and Shaw on their infield for years to come. Crazy
@button
And they could have simply signed and kept Belli for the final year of his contract, and still had (as you say) Cam Smith and Paredes.
Trading Smith for ONE year of Tucker may go down as worst in team history. Worse than Brock. Absolutely stupid. And recently CRicketts acknowledged that. A stupid way to lose a very promising top talent.
One thing I don’t understand is why his speed and approach at the plate doesn’t lead to more doubles? I think if he focused more on that sort of gap power, than he would probably hit at a even higher average. He does look like a good prospect though.
He needs to move around less. They will figure him out quickly if he has a rhythm and blow his cover.