Third base is Matt Shaw’s for the taking.
Shaw, the Cubs’ top prospect, saw the franchise seemingly clear the deck for him to win the job out of spring training after sending Isaac Paredes and prospect Cam Smith to Houston in the Kyle Tucker trade, designating infielder Patrick Wisdom for assignment and non-tendering Nick Madrigal, the team’s Opening Day third baseman last season.
“No matter how much the opportunity might present itself, you got to earn that spot,” Shaw said Saturday at the Cubs Convention. “Hopefully, given the opportunity, I’ll be able to show what I got and be able to earn that position.”
Shaw is right that he still has to earn the spot. General manager Carter Hawkins said the team is going to create a safety net in case Shaw isn’t quite ready to take that leap.
The Cubs acquired third baseman Gage Workman from the Tigers in the Rule 5 Draft. Workman has 472 games of minor-league experience but hasn’t made his major-league debut. The Cubs will continue to look for players who can play multiple positions in the infield and contribute off the bench.
But the team’s best option is for Shaw to win the job outright. If he excels early, he can provide the type of jolt that allows the Cubs to play above their expectations. It’s a lot for the prospect, but Shaw said he’s ready for the challenge.
“He’s going to play a lot for us,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “You have to expect some growing pains. -Ultimately, you have prospects, and at some point, these guys are going to have to play. You have to give them some rope. If you don’t, it’s really hard to be a good -organization.”
Shaw doesn’t have the prototypical arm strength to play third base. At Triple-A Iowa, Shaw homed in on his strength: lateral quickness.
“Something that Madrigal did a really good job of is really using his feet well to get that ball over to first base,” Shaw said. “There’s some guys with better arms, but being able to utilize some things that I have going for me — like quick feet — is going to be really good for third base.”
Hoerner update
Second baseman Nico Hoerner underwent flexor tendon surgery (right forearm) Oct. 11. The injury affected Hoerner throughout last season, and it was more pronounced on his throws.
Hoerner doesn’t know when the injury, which is more common among pitchers, -occurred. He has yet to hit or throw this offseason and is uncertain if he’ll be ready for Opening Day — the Cubs play the Dodgers March 18 in Tokyo — but the second baseman is aiming to play pain-free.
“I do myself and the team a bit of a disservice if I rush this process in any way,” Hoerner said. “It’s in my nature to push towards that direction, but straight-up reps and work ethic doesn’t really heal your tendons.
“It’s a huge source of motivation, but I need to make sure that I’m in a place not only to get back to being able to play, but actually being able to be myself.”