Top Chicago Cubs Prospect Sent Back to AAA

The Chicago Cubs have demoted top prospect, Matt Shaw, back to AAA Iowa after the rookie third baseman struggled to find his footing early in the season. Shaw is being sent back to AAA to make room for Vidal Brujan, who is coming off the 10-day injured list. Shaw had been struggling in his first career major league action so far in 2025. He will now have time to retool his game in the minors before inevitably coming back up to join the major league squad later in the year.

Shaw, 23, has been one of the top prospects in the Chicago Cubs farm system since being drafted with the 13th pick of the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft. Fans were hopeful that Shaw could step into the full-time role as the third baseman for 2025 but after a slow start at the plate, that hope has fallen by the wayside. Brujan, Justin Turner, and Gage Workman will fill in the playing time Shaw had been taking until the Chicago Cubs front office deems that he is ready for another chance at the major league level.

Matt Shaw Heads Back to AAA Iowa

The Chicago Cubs made a flurry of roster transactions Wednesday morning after their thrilling 2-1 extra-innings win over the San Diego Padres Tuesday night. There was an injury to Eli Morgan that landed him on the 15-day IL with a right elbow impingement. Nate Pearson is being demoted to AAA after a tough start to the season. Luke Little and Daniel Palencia were recalled to take their spots on the pitching staff. But there was one player swap that grabbed most of the attention in the wake of Tuesday night’s game.

Shaw was sent down to AAA Iowa to make room for Brujan, who was recalled from the 10-day IL. Shaw has been underwhelming in his first season in the major leagues with the Chicago Cubs. The front office decided it was best for him to retool his game at the minor league level before taking another crack at the show. It’s hard to argue against that, seeing as Shaw is hitting just .172 with a .294 OBP, .241 SLG, and .535 OPS in 58 at-bats this season.

Shaw has been one of the top two prospects in the Chicago Cubs farm system since being drafted in the 2023 MLB Draft with the 13th overall pick. Shaw’s struggles put a magnifying glass on the decision of the team to trade 2024 first round pick Cam Smith to the Houston Astros in the Kyle Tucker trade. There is plenty of time for Shaw to improve and contribute to the Chicago Cubs in 2025, but that time will have to be down the road after the team demoted Shaw to AAA Iowa.

Final Thoughts

I like the decision to send Shaw back to AAA. He hasn’t been finding success in the major leagues yet. With Brujan set to come off the IL, it will be nice to see if the veteran Brujan can be a part of this team moving forward. The Chicago Cubs already know Shaw will be back with the major league team at some point. There is no such guarantee with Brujan, so it’s good that the team is finding out what utility Brujan could have early on, rather than close to the trade deadline.

While I like the decision to send Shaw down to AAA, I’m not happy that he’s underperforming. It does make me wonder about the decision to include Cam Smith in the Tucker deal rather than Shaw. By all accounts, it was an either-or with the pair of first round picks, and the early indications are not looking favorable for the Chicago Cubs. Leaving that decision in the rearview mirror, I’m looking forward to seeing what Brujan can do with the major league team. If he can be a solid bench contributor, the Chicago Cubs can have more flexibility and infield production.