Cubs Could Be Forced To Trade Young Star In Order To Make Free Agent Splash

Could the Chicago Cubs attempt a wild trade of one of their most important players to free up a spot?

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The Chicago Cubs head into the offseason hungry to get back to the playoffs after their first real run in close to a decade seemed to light a new fire underneath the franchise.

President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer -- not to mention ownership -- have been on the receiving end of tons of criticism over the last several years, and while it was not unfounded, Hoyer deserves a ton of credit for putting the 2025 team together.

Moving forward, the task for Hoyer now becomes figuring out not just how to repeat it, but to get Chicago even further into October than they were this season. As feels like it is always the case, the Cubs are being linked to just about every big-name free agent out there.

Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer walks on the sidelines before a baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox at Wrigley Field. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

While a splash would be wonderful, Chicago would have to move some of their current pieces to fit some of the names they've been linked to.

The best example of this might just be third base, being connected to various sluggers at the position despite Matt Shaw showing some real promise as a rookie.

Could Cubs Actually Trade Away Matt Shaw?

Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw (6) reacts to striking out against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning during game three of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Chicago has been connected to Alex Bregman since last offseason, ultimately falling short on the free agent a year ago and handing the job over to Shaw. A year later, Shaw showed some promise as a rookie, but Bregman is available once again.

While the buzz has and will connect Bregman to the Cubs once again, it's not just him available. Japanese sensations Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto are both available, as well as Eugenio Suarez.

With first base locked up for the foreseeable future by Michael Busch, the only realistic way for a signing like this to get at-bats is going to come from the third base position.

Though Shaw looked like a future Gold Glove winner on defense, did he show enough on offense for Chicago to be completely convinced?

Cubs May Be Worried About Shaw's Offensive Ceiling

Sep 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw (6) warms up before a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

For as great as Shaw was defensively, the bat just did not translate from Triple-A in the same way despite a stellar minor league career offensively. The 23-year-old was struggling so much early on that he was optioned back down, and while the numbers improved upon his return, the overall body of work was not great.

In 126 games, Shaw slashed just .226/.295/.394 with 13 home runs and 44 RBI. At the same time though, his ceiling appears sky high with a bWAR of 3.1 in a limited sample size with offensive numbers that were not great at all.

If Chicago believes that Shaw's offensive struggles are just because of his age and that the bat will come around, they simply cannot trade him, as he could be a future superstar.

However, if they are unsure if the bat will ever come around in a meaningful way, this free agency class is too strong, and this offseason as a whole is too important for them to act cautiously. The possibility of moving him is at the very least worth keeping a real eye on.

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