Looming Cubs roster crunch can be solved with the most obvious move ever

The Chicago Cubs have been without Matt Shaw since late June - but, according to Craig Counsell, the sophomore utilityman is gearing up to start a rehab assignment. He's been hitting without any lingering pain, giving the team confidence he's ready to put his left hand sprain behind him just in time for the home stretch of the regular season.

Shaw has been limited to just 56 games on the year, but has posted a respectable .246/.322/.415 slash line in 147 plate appearances. He showed good command of the zone, with well above average whiff and strikeout rates, but the Cubs would love to see him hit the ball with more authority once he returns.

Which brings us to what I think is a pretty straightforward scenario, but looking at some online convos, maybe it's not as cut-and-dry to others. When Shaw is ready to rejoin the Cubs' 26-man roster, there's a clear odd man out and it's rookie James Triantos.

Trade deadline addition Tyrone Taylor isn't going anywhere, and neither is rookie sensation Pedro Ramirez, who has been a godsend for Chicago since joining the club. Triantos, meanwhile, has all of five plate appearances to his credit since being called up on July 24. Swapping Shaw for Triantos gives Craig Counsell the same degree of defensive versatility with a far more potent offensive profile - a no-brainer.

Expect to see both Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramirez all over the diamond

Adding Shaw back into the fold gives Counsell and the Cubs near-endless ways to keep regulars fresh come the dog days of summer, which should allow the club to hit October at full strength. Ramirez has already seen time at first, second, third and left and Shaw has played every position outside of shortstop and catcher since making his MLB debut last season.

Between the trade deadline additions and the number of guys returning from injury, the closing weeks of the regular season are shaping up to be a best-case scenario for the Chicago Cubs - and Shaw is big piece of that puzzle.

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