The Cubs have optioned third baseman Matt Shaw to Triple-A Iowa, studies Keith Legislation of The Athletic. That’s half of a bigger slate of strikes, relayed by Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. Infielder Vidal Bruján has been reinstated from the 10-day injured record. On the pitching aspect, the membership recalled left-hander Luke Little and right-hander Daniel Palencia. To make room for these two, righty Nate Pearson has been optioned to Iowa as effectively, whereas righty Eli Morgan has been positioned on the 15-day IL as a consequence of an elbow impingement.
Shaw, 23, got here into the season as one of many prime prospects within the league. The membership clearly believed he was worthy of a shot on the majors, as they traded Isaac Paredes to the Astros as a part of the Kyle Tucker deal within the offseason. That didn’t assure Shaw a spot on the Opening Day roster but it surely opened a door for him, which he walked by. He cracked the membership’s roster forward of the Tokyo Sequence and has been serving as their common third baseman up till this level.
The outcomes have been blended. Throughout his 68 plate appearances to this point, he has drawn a stroll in 14.7% of them, however he’s additionally been struck out at a 26.5% clip. He has a tepid .172/.294/.241 batting line, although with a .231 batting common on balls in play. That quantity is on the unfortunate aspect however Shaw hasn’t been doing himself many favors by way of placing good wooden on the ball. His 82.7 mile per hour common exit velocity within the second percentile of certified MLB hitters, per Statcast. His hard-hit price is within the fifth percentile, his bat pace within the tenth and his barrel price fifteenth. His protection has additionally been a little bit of a query mark. In 141 innings at third base to this point, he already has 4 errors.
All of that’s absolutely lower than the Cubs had been hoping for, as he destroyed minor league pitching. After getting chosen with the thirteenth total decide within the 2023 draft, Shaw obtained into 159 minor league video games between that draft choice and the tip of the 2024 season. He had strong stroll and strikeout charges of 10.2% and 17.3% respectively whereas slashing .303/.384/.522 for a 157 wRC+. 35 of these video games had been on the Triple-A degree final 12 months and he hit .298/.395/.534 in these, constructing the case that he was prepared for a serious league debut.
Shaw is one more instance of a prime prospect who didn’t instantly click on on the main league degree. Whereas some might soar to declare Shaw a “bust”, this form of factor is definitely fairly widespread. A basic instance is Mike Trout, who hit .220/.281/.390 in his first 135 plate appearances again in 2011. It might probably’t be assumed {that a} prospect will instantly succeed when reaching the majors for the primary time, nor does it imply that they gained’t ever discover success down the road.
Sending Shaw down is defensible in a vacuum, given his struggles. However outdoors the vacuum, it’s unclear who the Cubs can flip to as a greater choice for the new nook. Bruján has a .189/.261/.270 batting line in his profession. Justin Turner has a lot of third base expertise however is now 40 years outdated. He’s been extra of a primary base/designated hitter sort lately, with simply 90 innings on the sizzling nook for the reason that finish of the 2022 season. He’s additionally having his personal struggles on the plate this 12 months, with a .172/.286/.172 line to this point. Jon Berti is a 35-year-old veteran utility man. Gage Workman is a Rule 5 man who has obtained simply ten plate appearances to this point this 12 months and has been punched out in 5 of them.
It’s potential that is only a short-term state of affairs and Shaw will likely be again up with the massive league membership quickly. How lengthy it takes for his return will likely be vital for him and the membership. By cracking the Opening Day roster, he was on tempo to get a full 12 months of service time in 2025. That might have meant qualifying for arbitration after 2027 and free company after 2030. A fast return to the majors might nonetheless make these targets viable. A significant league season is 187 days lengthy however a participant wants simply 172 days within the massive leagues or on the injured record to get credited with a full 12 months. It’s additionally potential for Shaw to qualify for arbitration after 2027 even with lower than three years of service time, as he might attain Tremendous Two standing.
If Shaw doesn’t return pretty shortly, these timelines will likely be pushed one 12 months into the longer term. It can additionally take off the potential for the Cubs incomes an additional draft decide through the prospect promotion incentive. Underneath the PPI guidelines, groups can earn an additional decide by carrying a prime prospect on the roster lengthy sufficient to earn a full service 12 months. The Cubs put that on the desk initially by giving Shaw an Opening Day job however it is going to not apply if he’s down for a couple of weeks.
Photograph courtesy of Sergio Estrada, Imagn Photographs
