MLB Insider Drops Surprising News About the Cubs’ Right Field Plans

The Chicago Cubs' Opening Day starting outfield seemed set in stone all offseason long. Seiya Suzuki, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ would lead one of the best outfields in all of baseball, playing the majority of their games in the outfield.

Cold water seems to have been thrown on that idea.

According to MLB insider Bruce Levine, the Cubs plan to use Matt Shaw in right field "quite a bit." Suzuki would often DH with a left-handed starting pitcher on the mound, and Shaw would start in right field.

.@MLBBruceLevine shares details on the Cubs' plan to use Matt Shaw in right field quite a bit.

Specifically, when left-handers start for the opponent, Seiya Suzuki will often be at DH and Shaw figures to be in right field. pic.twitter.com/rQHjQ6575C
— 104.3 The Score (@thescorechicago) February 17, 2026

What would this mean for Chicago?

While Suzuki started 102 of his 151 games at DH in 2025, he was widely expected to be the starting right fielder. After the signing of third baseman Alex Bregman, Shaw was expected to transition to the outfield after starting 114 games at the hot corner in 2025.

Suzuki had a career year, hitting 32 home runs and 103 runs driven in, becoming a key part of this Cubs offense.

Shaw had a somewhat disappointing rookie season in 2025, hitting 13 home runs with a .690 OPS and 3.1 bWAR. While Bregman is obviously a major upgrade over Shaw, there were questions as to what the former first-round pick's role would be on the team.

Now, we have a better idea.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw | Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Prospect Moises Ballesteros was originally expected to get most of his at-bats at DH in 2026. Now, the left-hander will mostly get at-bats against right-handed starters.

This makes sense given that Ballesteros had 139 at-bats against left-handers, versus 364 against right-handers in the minors. In the big leagues, albeit in limited time, Ballesteros only had two at-bats against left-handers versus 55 against right-handers.

What else did Levine say about Shaw?

Levine said that he had talked to Cubs manager Craig Counsell and asked about at-bats for young players like Shaw. Counsell responded by saying that 10 guys will be getting consistent at-bats.

Levine makes the educated assumption that the 10th player getting regular playing time is Shaw.

While the athleticism and bat will get Shaw in the lineup often, the worry for Levine is that his transition to the outfield will take patience and that Cubs fans may not exactly see great results defensively from Shaw.

If Shaw can adjust to the outfield better than expected, that's just another bonus for a Chicago team that is expected to contend for a World Series in a loaded National League.

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