The Chicago Cubs are just a week away from Opening Day, and while there are a ton of questions surrounding the team, none are more pressing than what they are going to do in the outfield.
While the plan after losing Kyle Tucker was a return to right field for Seiya Suzuki, his status for Opening Day is now in question after a knee injury he sustained in the World Baseball Classic for Team Japan.
The backup plan, according to Craig Counsell, is young second-year player Matt Shaw, who steps into a utility role after losing his job at third base, which includes serving as the fourth outfielder despite little professional experience out there.
Shaw has had a very strong spring offensively, but after two errors on Wednesday, he now has three in just 33 outfield innings this spring. Of course, there are going to be growing pains, but Chicago cannot afford for the 24-year-old to be a complete defensive liability.
Cubs need at least decent right field defense
Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw | Rick Scuteri-Imagn ImagesOf course, asking Shaw to step into a position he hasn’t played since college will lead to a learning curve, but three errors in just 33 innings is a concern for a team that prides itself on defense and wins games because of it.
It does not sound like the Suzuki injury is going to be extremely serious, and should cost him less than a month of the season, but Chicago needs to weigh if it’s worth allowing Shaw to take the role, all things considered.
Giving Shaw that experience in the outfield could pay off down the line, assuming he improves, but it will be up to Craig Counsell to determine if he’s close enough to be able to learn on the job rather than just taking reps in practice.
Other directions Cubs could go in right field
Chicago does have other options if Shaw proves not to be ready, including top prospect Kevin Alcantara, who has just not taken that next step despite being expected to contribute the last couple of years.
Other minor league options include Chas McCormick, Dylan Carlson, or even Michael Conforto, all of whom obviously have big league playing experience but would be an offensive downgrade to Shaw.
How Counsell navigates this situation — and how long Suzuki is out for — could go a long way towards shaping what the first month of the season looks like for this team both offensively and defensively.
