Are the Chicago Cubs moving on from Matt Shaw, as trade deadline rumors fly?

Although the dire straits of Chicago’s starting rotation rightfully gets most of the attention from concerned fans, the other glaring team weakness is at third base, where former top prospect Matt Shaw has, apparently, once again been removed from the starting spot.

In manager Craig Counsell’s lineup for Saturday’s game against the New York Yankees, the rookie is on the bench in favor of Jon Berti for the second straight day.

This move draws extra attention amid the Cubs’ recent struggles, their shrinking first place lead, and Shaw’s general inability to find his way in the big leagues.

The 23-year-old was all but handed the starting third base gig this past offseason, but is now in his second failed stab at making it stick.

Matt Shaw’s fall, rise, and second fall

After logging a dismal .172 average through April 14, he was sent down to the minors for re-tooling. He was brought back up after a red-hot month at Triple-A and, to be honest, because the Cubs had no other answers at third base. The collective fail of Jon Berti, Gage Workman, Justin Turner, Vidal Brujan, and Nicky Lopez as Plan B third basemen paved the way for an early Shaw return.

Shaw put up some numbers at first, hitting .359 in his first 11 games back in the majors. Then reality came crashing down. A .193 batting average in June has segued into .038 average in July.

Shaw’s future

Counsell’s benching of the young player sends the strong message that a Cubs team with deep postseason aspirations and flat-lining recent results cannot afford to have one dead spot in the lineup.

The move also sends the strong message that, perhaps, patience has run thin with Shaw as a developmental project and that, as the July 31 trade deadline approaches, the team is ready to move on from the rookie.

In recent days, there’s been buzz regarding the Cubs exploring third base fill-ins via trade. Names such as Eugenio Suarez from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Ke’Bryan Hayes from the Pittsburgh Pirates, Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies, Ramon Urias from the Baltimore Orioles, and Yoan Moncada from the Los Angeles Angels have all been linked to the Cubs to varying degrees.

There’s also the possibility that Shaw, whose value could now center more around his worth as a prospect than as a majors-ready asset, could be dealt at the trade deadline for pitching, in conjunction with the acquisition of a third base replacement.

Whatever the case, the Cubs seem to have made up their mind regarding Shaw in 2025.