Jed Hoyer's Statement On Matt Shaw Speaks Volumes About His Cubs Future

The Winter Meetings are upon every baseball organization in the majors and there will be plenty of players dealt, signed, dropped and shuffled.

The Chicago Cubs have plenty of areas to address this week, like adding another starter to the rotation, and there has to be some concern about replacing Kyle Tucker's production.

For those who don't know, the Winter Meetings are one of the biggest events of the offseason, where important events like the Rule 5 Draft and Draft Lottery take place, and where general managers get a chance to negotiate face-to-face. This year's started on December 7th and runs through the 12th.

Jed Hoyer | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

One rookie for the Cubs that's been mentioned as potential trade bait is Matt Shaw. But according to a new report by ESPN's Jesse Rogers, Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer has no idea why.

Hoyer sure doesn't think Shaw is a liability by any means even though everyone in the media has given their two cents on the rookie in a mostly negative light. WIth his latest statement Hoyer definitely hints that Shaw is not on the market.

Rogers wrote, "Just to inform Cubs fans: Here is Jed Hoyer today when Matt Shaw's name came up.
'I've been surprised by the number of media reports that link us to different guys. There is zero lack of confidence in Matt. I would say the opposite.'"

Just to inform Cubs fans: Here is Jed Hoyer today when Matt Shaw's name came up.
"I've been surprised by the number of media reports that link us to different guys. There is zero lack of confidence in Matt. I would say the opposite."
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) December 8, 2025

Shaw in the majors

The former first-round pick didn't start strong by any means. He struggled enough at the plate that the Cubs considered dealing him at the trade deadline as he had a batting average under .200 in March, April, and June.

However, Shaw turned things around in the second half and showed real promise, posting a .258 batting average, .317 on-base percentage, .522 slugging percentage, and a .839 OPS. During that time he hit 11 home runs, scoring 29 runs and 20 RBIs.

MORE: Zac Gallen Trolls Cubs Free Agency Signing Report With 'Contract' Tease

Matt Shaw throwing a ball for an ou — Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Shaw was also impressive on defense, ranking amongst some of the top third basemen despite playing in fewer games than most.

1.4 WAR, 6th
214 Assists, 10th
80 Putouts, 11th
7 Errors, fourth fewest
.977 Fielding Percentage, sixth
2.62 Range Factor, fourth

There is plenty of speculation right now about whether the Cubs will aggressively pursue Alex Bregman, whom the team lost out on in a bidding war last season. And Hoyer's latest comments suggest the Cubs might not be as aggressive as some think.

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