Several third base options for Cubs |
It's hard to believe that pitchers and catchers will be reporting to Arizona in just over a month, signaling the start of Spring Training. Full squad workouts will follow that, and then, of course, the first of what will be plenty of Spring Training games.
This season will be different for the Cubs. They will kick off their regular season in Japan in March and then return to Arizona for 10 days before the rest of the season resumes. That means that they will have roughly two fewer weeks to make this roster look how they want it to look heading into the season. Knowing that the pressure is on Jed Hoyer to pick up the pace a bit, as this team still has some positions to fill despite the 40-man roster sitting at 40. One of the questions the team must answer is whether or not Matt Shaw is ready to take over a starting spot come opening day. From all accounts, Shaw is expected to get plenty of time at third base this Spring and be given the chance to win the job. However, with Nico Hoerner recovering from offseason surgery, Shaw may start the season at second, which would create a short-term hole at third. Filling that hole becomes an issue as Michael Busch has 3B experience, but taking him off first would put this team in a tough spot. The perfect scenario for the Cubs would be to have Shaw win the job at third and have Hoerner ready to go at second come opening day. That seems very unlikely at this point, and the injury isn't the main reason why it seems unlikely. Instead, Nico continues to hear his name centered around trade conversations, and at some point, you have to think a deal will happen. Should that happen, Shaw will likely go to 2B to open the season, creating another void at third. What the Cubs do to fill that void is on them, but if it were up to the fans, Alex Bregman would be the top option. As unlikely as the Cubs would make a run at Bregman, some reports have surfaced that Bregman to the Cubs is a possibility. Anytime you have a guy capable of hitting 30-plus homers a season, you have to consider making the move, even if it does come with a price tag north of 200 million.
The Cubs have the money to make that deal happen, but with so many other holes that still need to be addressed, adding him doesn't make sense at this point. Still, a few more options make sense for the Cubs as they would be cheaper and short-term fixes until the Cubs have a more permanent solution.
Paul DeJong and Brandon Drury come to mind, and both have been mentioned earlier this offseason with the Cubs. DeJong has shown the ability to be a reasonably solid hitter capable of hitting 20 homers in a season, but his overall inconsistency has hampered his trajectory as a player.
He did have a nice bounce-back showing last season and is expected to make close to seven million dollars this season. The same thing can be said about Drury, who is coming off a horrible season. After belting 25 homers in 2022 and landing a lucrative multi-year contract, Drury has fallen off the face of the earth and is now on the verge of signing minor league deals to stick around.
This deal would've made sense for the Cubs in 2023, but it doesn't make much sense now when you look at the position this team is in. One deal that may not seem like it makes sense, but overall, it does make sense, would be the addition of Jose Iglesias to hold down third for the time being.
One of the more undervalued players in today's game, Iglesias has always been known for having one of the best gloves in the game. Looking at how the Cubs infield is constructed, Iglesias would fit right in and would be able to play any of the infield positions apart from first base.
Iglesias is no slouch offensively, as he has hit a .283 for his career. That includes an impressive showing in 2024, where he hit .337 across 85 games with the Mets last season and connected for four homers and 26 RBIs. Even at 35 to start next season, Iglesias would come cheap and be a great fit as a short-term fix at third.
Speaking of a versatile player, Enrique Hernandez is also looking for a new gig and would fit right in with this Cubs roster. Kike as most baseball fans know him, Hernandez has been part of the Dodgers organization for most of his career and has been known for having massive moments. Those moments showed up on the biggest stage, the postseason, and those heroics aren't coachable.
Along with clutch hitting, Hernandez is another one of those guys who can bring you positional versatility and can play both the infield and outfield. Despite a batting average that hovers around .230, Hernandez does have some pop in his bat as he has clubbed 120 career homers, with 12 of them coming last season.
While third base is not his strongest position, it is not foreign territory either. This move would be solely a short-term fix, which would be okay with both him and the Cubs.
