Matt Shaw is preparing for a
super-utility role with the Cubs in the wake of Alex Bregman's arrival
[January 17, 2026]
By JAY COHEN
CHICAGO (AP) — Matt Shaw was watching TV with his wife when she got
a notification on her phone: Alex Bregman had agreed to a contract
with the Chicago Cubs.
Shaw was Chicago's regular third baseman during his rookie season,
so he wondered what the move meant for him.
“You're kind of looking at it like ‘Oh man, where am I going to
play?’ And you get a little anxious about those things,” Shaw said
Friday at the team's annual fan convention. "The team knows me good
enough at this point to know I just want to be prepared when the
season comes around.
“So of course I immediately have questions like ‘Am I going to go
here? Am I going to go there?’”
The answer to many of those questions was yes.
Shaw is preparing for a super-utility role after Chicago finalized a
$175 million, five-year contract with Bregman on Wednesday. In
addition to backing up Bregman at third and Nico Hoerner at second,
Shaw also is expected to play in the outfield.
There is always the possibility of a trade with Hoerner, who is
going into the last year of a $35 million, three-year contract, or
Shaw, a first-round pick in the 2023 amateur draft who turned 24 in
November. But the Cubs sound as if they are inclined to hold on to
their infield depth as an insurance policy for injuries.
“I don’t think we have enough guys yet,” manager Craig Counsell said
with a chuckle. “If you think there’s too many, I don’t know what
you’re looking at.”
Counsell said the team was “fortunate” last year in terms of
injuries.
“We’re now protecting a lot against what can happen, but I think
that’s an important part of building a roster and building a team,”
he said.
Hoerner, 28, was a key performer last season as Chicago won 92 games
and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2020. He batted
.297 with seven homers, 61 RBIs and 29 steals in a career-best 156
games. He also won his second Gold Glove.
Amid increased trade speculation in the wake of Bregman's deal,
Hoerner said he loves the Cubs and attributed the rumors to his
contract situation and playing in a big market.
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Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw prepares to field the ball
during the a baseball game, Oct. 6, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP
Photo/Kayla Wolf, File)
“I think, above all, just remembering that it’s not
a personal thing and that the team’s job is to always make the best
possible roster that they have the ability to do for this year and
for years to come,” he said. “And you look at the things that we’ve
done this offseason, I think it’s pretty evident that’s their goal.
And we’re in a really strong place.”
Dansby Swanson, Hoerner's double-play partner at
shortstop, said the second baseman was irreplaceable.
“Nico means the world to me and to this team, just who he is as a
person,” Swanson said. “He brings the same type of energy and
competitive spirit that Alex does.”
Shaw was relatively inexperienced at third base going into last
season, but he was named a Gold Glove finalist in October. Shaking
off a slow start and a stint in the minors, he hit .226 with 13
homers, 44 RBIs and 17 steals in 126 games with the Cubs.
Shaw was a shortstop growing up in Massachusetts, but he spent some
time as an outfielder early in his collegiate career at the
University of Maryland.
“I played outfield growing up a lot, so I look forward to running
around out there,” he said. “Outfield's definitely fun. And the
at-bat stuff, I think there's at-bats there, and obviously it's up
to me as it's up to all the guys to earn their spots and to play
well.”
Shaw also is looking forward to playing with Bregman, a two-time
World Series champion with Houston.
“We had a great year last year. We had a lot of great pieces,” Shaw
said, “and then you add Bregman and it's like, you look at this team
up and down and we're in an amazing spot.”
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