Are The Cubs Ready To Replace Matt Shaw Already?

The Chicago Cubs appear to be in the market for a big-time bat this offseason. Recent reports have linked the Cubs to free agent third baseman Alex Bregman.

This is not the first time Chicago has shown interest in Bregman. Last offseason, the Cubs were in the running to land the All-Star third baseman. However, they were eventually outbid by the Boston Red Sox.

Well, all signs point to the Cubs making another run at Bregman. Multiple reports have indicated that Chicago is interested in signing him this winter, including those from Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic and Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

That means the Cubs are at least considering adding an impact bat to this lineup for 2026. Getting Bregman would no doubt boost this Chicago lineup.

However, his arrival could mean Matt Shaw takes a backseat next season. Considering Shaw primarily plays the same position as Bregman, it is likely that Bregman would replace him at third base.

Despite that, the front office seems at least willing to replace Shaw this offseason. That’s not a total surprise, considering the Cubs’ win-now window is now.

They simply can’t have Shaw be a liability again in their lineup next season. He only hit .226 with 13 home runs, 21 doubles, 44 RBI, and 17 stolen bases across 126 games in his rookie campaign. The 24-year-old also struggled mightily in the postseason with a .118 batting average and seven strikeouts in 23 plate appearances.

Those numbers could be a reason why the Cubs are at least considering adding a bat like Bregman to their lineup. The three-time All-Star hit .273 with 18 home runs, 28 doubles, and 62 RBI in 114 games with the Red Sox last year.

Cubs fans should be all for getting a player of Bregman’s caliber. He can really elevate a lineup and has the prior success to succeed in the Windy City. The 31-year-old has finished with at least a 3.5 WAR in four straight seasons.

The two big problems with getting Bregman, though, are that this move could hurt Shaw’s development and take away his glove at third base. He was a Gold Glove finalist at third base in 2025 and really played exceptional defense throughout the year.

If the Cubs were fully in on Shaw’s growth heading into Year 2, they likely wouldn’t show this much interest in a veteran like Bregman. However, the front office seems to be in a position where they are fine with shifting Shaw into more of a reserve role in 2026.