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!
A little Berti told me.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Berti has looked good so far and the Cubs are doing well. The sky is not falling (yet).
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.
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.
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?
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?
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!
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.