MESA, Ariz. (670 The Score) – It has been an eventful week for Cubs top prospect Matt Shaw.
The Cubs failed in their pursuit to land veteran Alex Bregman in free agency when he agreed to a lucrative deal with the Red Sox on Wednesday night, a decision that ensured Chicago’s starting third base job is wide open for the 23-year-old Shaw to earn.
Beyond that, Shaw is now also dealing with a minor oblique injury on his left side, so the Cubs will proceed slowly with his integration into work as spring training has opened, manager Craig Counsell said Friday. Shaw suffered the injury while taking swings in the batting cage about four or five days ago.
As he looks at the big picture while getting healthy, Shaw is upbeat about his chance to become the Cubs’ everyday third baseman.
“I have had a lot of new opportunities to play third base,” Shaw said in reference to getting to spring training early. “Early, I was getting work at other positions, but the emphasis now is to get more reps at third base.
“It’s amazing to have this chance at the beginning of spring training … It’s something I really look forward to. This should be a very exciting spring and a lot of fun. This year, I have longer relationships and that should help make this a good experience.”
The Cubs selected Shaw in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He hit .284 with 21 homers, 71 RBIs and an .867 OPS in 121 games split between Double-A and Triple-A in 2024. Shaw has put a lot of focus on improving his defense as he looks to master the nuances of playing third base at the most advanced level. He also has experience at shortstop and second base.
“I need to learn how to use my feet better,” Shaw said. “That is something I have been working on a lot this offseason. That is something I am excited about, so I think my throwing feels a lot better and looks a lot better. (Former Cubs infielder) Nick Madrigal did such a great job of learning the position and especially the way he used his feet – I was able watch that. A short guy like me learned from watching him last year. He really used his feet with momentum of throwing the ball to first.”
As a key piece of the Cubs’ future and the potential answer at a position that has been a weakness of the club, Shaw knows he’ll be under a microscope in spring training and leading up to the club opening its regular season against the Dodgers in Japan on March 18-19.
"That is part of the game of baseball,” Shaw said of dealing with questions about his readiness for the big leagues. "There is pressure no matter where you are trying to prove yourself. You look to stay consistent. Everybody is going to fail at times. You look around the game and it's just not rookies, everyone fails from time to time. You try and minimize all of that and accept it for what it is. That is just part of the game.”
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.