How will the Cubs get top prospect Matt Shaw regular reps in the big leagues?

Drinking my morning coffee this weekend, I read through Jim Bowden's latest top 50 MLB prospects rankings over at The Athletic (subscription required). Halfway through the list, I got to the first Chicago Cubs prospect in infielder Matt Shaw, who earned a Futures Game selection this year during his climb to Triple-A Iowa.

We all wondered if his meteoric ascent would end in a late-summer call-up to Wrigley Field. The answer now seems to be a resounding 'no' but that doesn't mean Shaw won't play a role for the Cubs in 2025. The bigger question, perhaps, is where he will play.

Chicago has a roster that's seemingly locked into long-term answers at most positions. Looking around the diamond, the outfield (with or without Cody Bellinger) seems set with Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki both holding no-trade protection and rookie center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong coming into his own of late.

On the infield, the Gold Glove tandem of Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson have things locked down up the middle and Michael Busch, who figures to get some down-ballot love in NL Rookie of the Year voting, has emerged as a long-term answer at first base. The clear path to Shaw reaching the big leagues next year appeared to be at third base. But the Cubs' biggest trade deadline move has changed everything.

Jed Hoyer sent Christopher Morel to Tampa Bay in exchange for Isaac Paredes, who is under team control for three more seasons post-2024. While the initial returns have left much to be desired, both in the field and at the plate, it seems the Cubs expect him to be part of the bigger picture for years to come - which leaves Shaw now among a number of the team's top prospects in a weird spot.

The Cubs don't like promoting young players if they won't get regular ABs. The problem now is they have an MLB-best six prospects knocking on the door at Triple-A Iowa and many of them are blocked by guys under long-term team control in Chicago. One of the biggest challenges for Hoyer and the front office this winter will be clearing a runway for these guys to get a look at the big league level because simply running this team back as-is with that type of talent waiting in the wings isn't a viable solution.