The Chicago Cubs eye a veteran slugger with over 300 career home runs as a potential Matt Shaw replacement.
Cubs Linked to 300-Plus Career Home Run Hitter to Replace Struggling Matt Shaw originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Allowing players who struggle at the highest level isn't the worst idea, but it's something the Chicago Cubs have to be cautious with. Matt Shaw appears to have lost his confidence once again, hitting .207 on the year with two home runs.
He struggled when he got his first cup of coffee in the show but was sent to Triple-A.
After returning, Shaw hasn't done much, getting just 41 hits in 198 at-bats and driving in only 14 runs. For a Cubs team looking to win a World Series, that certainly isn't good enough for them to continue playing him.
For that reason and many others, Andrew Wright of Newsweek believes the Cubs must upgrade at third base if they want to be serious contenders.
“Third base has been a bit of an issue for Chicago this season. It has started six different players at the position, and none of those have produced nearly as much as they need to. It's minus-0.5 Wins Above Average at the position ranks 22nd of 30 teams.
“That includes rookie and Cubs top prospect Matt Shaw. Shaw made the opening day roster but struggled mightily and was optioned to Triple-A Iowa. He was recalled shortly after and after a blistering hot first few weeks back in the major leagues, he has since cooled off again,” he wrote.
Wright eventually named Eugenio Suarez of the Arizona Diamondbacks as a potential option.
The Diamondbacks are in a weird position because of all the injuries they’ve faced, but they’re still a decent team.
If they get healthy in the second half, it's possible that they could make the postseason, meaning the Cubs might not have an opportunity to trade for Suarez if things don't go as planned.
Related: MLB Insider Believes Cubs Will Have to Overpay for Starting Pitcher
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
