Matt Shaw surge isn’t enough to kill Cubs’ Eugenio Suarez pursuit

It seems that with every home run Chicago Cubs rookie third baseman Matt Shaw hits since returning from play after the All-Star break, it brings the question of how intently the Cubs should be pursuing Arizona Diamondbacks' All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suarez. The timing was almost comedic on Saturday night as Shaw hit a two-run home run during a pivotal moment in the Cubs' victory over the White Sox, nearly at the same time a report confirmed the team was one of the most interested suitors for Suarez.

Shaw used the All-Star break to make mechanical adjustments to his batting stance, and the early results are paying off. Shaw has four home runs since the All-Star break, and is finally showing power to his pull side. These are all encouraging results and speak to the reason why the Cubs believe Shaw will be the long-term answer at third base.

There are also some things to consider. The first being that Shaw is a rookie, and there likely is an adjustment coming. While Miguel Amaya had a similar offensive turnaround last season after switching his swing mechanics, he also struggled considerably during the closing month of the season. It would be logical to expect that Shaw is going to have some form of regression between now and the end of the season.

Cubs hold firm on Eugenio Suarez trade interest even with Matt Shaw’s rise

In a season where the Cubs are pushing their chips to the middle of the table, they can't avoid the likely regression that is coming for their rookie third baseman. That is why the team remains interested in Suarez. Along those lines, a report from Mike Rodriguez suggests the Cubs are the team pursuing Suarez more intensely than others.

It's also important to understand that Suarez is an outlier for the Cubs, in the sense that his 36 home runs would lengthen an already strong lineup. A move for Suarez would also improve the Cubs' bench as Shaw would likely move into a utility role while the team parts with one of Vidal Bruján or Jon Berti.

Where Shaw's surge has changed the calculus for the Cubs at the deadline would be if they weren't able to add Suarez. If they don't, the team likely will move forward with Shaw at third base while eyeing some bench reinforcements before the deadline.

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