Matt Shaw's resurgence exposes Cubs' offseason mistake getting louder by the day

Craig Counsell revealed earlier this week that there was plan to get Matt Shaw into the Chicago Cubs' lineup more regularly, and it has immediately paid off. Shaw started all three games against the Colorado Rockies, and proved to be the spark plug that the team needed. Shaw collected five hits in his 12 plate appearances with two triples and four RBI, and it seems clear that he needs to remain in the lineup moving forward.

With Seiya Suzuki still recovering from a knee injury, Counsell said the plan is for Suzuki to remain the team's designated hitter throughout the weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays. At the very least, that should signal that Shaw will be in right field for each of those three games.

Even if you want to expand the look at the Shaw's offensive performance to the entire season, there's reason to be impressed. Through 120 plate appearances this season, Shaw is slashing .266/.319/.440 with a wRC+ of 111. While he did struggle during the final month of the 2025 season, Shaw's success this season matches the production he had after the All-Star break last summer.

Matt Shaw is exposing a costly Jed Hoyer risk

At the very least, Shaw has likely proved that he will be one the starting corner outfielders for the Cubs next season. That's not the only thing the 24-year-old has proved. Shaw is proving that Jed Hoyer made an expensive gamble during the offseason that is already aging poorly.

It's early, but Alex Bregman's struggles have been at the center of what has gone wrong for the Cubs in recent weeks. Bregman is carrying 99 wRC+ through his first 337 plate appearances with the Cubs, and the power has been missing. It's still too early for the final determination on the Cubs' urgency to add Bregman, but with what Shaw is doing, it's fair to wonder if Hoyer misread the room last winter.

It's clear that the Cubs valued the person Bregman is, but paying him $175 million, it was also clear that they felt he would be an offensive upgrade over Shaw. At the very least, enough of an upgrade to where it made clear that Shaw's best role with this team would be as a super-utility player.

Instead, Shaw has reminded the Cubs of the value they could have had with an ascending third baseman under team control through the 2031 season. Even if the argument was, as a whole, the Cubs were looking for an offensive upgrade, Bregman shouldn't have been their first choice. Cody Bellinger and Kyle Schwarber were also available, and it didn't seem like the Cubs were really involved in either player's bidding.

Perhaps Bellinger and Schwarber would have still returned to the Yankees and Phillies respectively, but with how things are unfolding with Bregman, Shaw, and Moises Ballesteros as the team's designated hitter, it's clear the Cubs should have at least had the conversation. Especially if they were ready to go the lengths of a $175 million deal to add a position player to the roster.

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