3 ways the Chicago Cubs can reinvest the savings from trading Cody Bellinger

3. Add a third baseman

The Cubs left their third base depth thin when they traded Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith to the Houston Astros. It was the cost of acquiring Tucker and I don't fault them for making that deal, but they do need to address third base before the season starts.

Matt Shaw is the most likely internal candidate and Hoyer confirmed that he will get a "long look" at the position this Spring. And rightfully so because Shaw is a highly-touted prospect both internally (no. 1 in the organization) and externally (no. 22 on MLB Pipeline). He is a guy who will likely play the position at an average level while providing excellent speed on the bases. It remains to be seen how his bat will transfer to MLB but he has excelled at both contact and power hitting through all levels of the minors.

Shaw's presence shouldn't stop Hoyer from adding third base depth though. The 22-year-old is still a young and unproven player who may not be ready to handle the position full-time. Aside from Alex Bregman, a guy who would likely command $25-$30 million annually and effectively block Shaw, the free agent market is thin. That being said, it's possible Hoyer brings in a veteran to share time with Shaw at third and possibly pass the baton to him later in the year. This would be a cheap move to provide insurance in case Shaw struggles early on.

Gio Urshela, J.D. Davis or Yoan Moncada are the available candidates that fit the bill. Other than a cheap third baseman and possibly another bench bat, I don't anticipate the Cubs making any more meaningful additions to the lineup after the Tucker trade and Carson Kelly signing.