Cubs first spring training lineup offers first plot twist in third base battle

The Chicago Cubs take the field for their first spring training game on Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. That is the good news. The bad news is that this is spring training, which means the lineups don't reflect reality.

Odds are, the Cubs Opening Day lineup won't look much like their first spring training game. Chicago opens the season in Tokyo against these same Dodgers. The biggest question for Chicago entering the spring is the third base battle between Matt Shaw, ranked as one of the team's top prospects, and the newly-acquired Justin Turner, who is there primarily as insurance. Turner is a veteran in every sense of the word – he is 40 years old, and not exactly a gold glove caliber defender defensively. He also is not a liability.

Gage Workman will get the first official game swings at third base, while Shaw starts the game in the dugout. He could, of course, enter later. Shaw is the No. 19-ranked prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline.

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Alex Bregman whiff on full display with Cubs first spring training lineup

This comes after Chicago missed out on Alex Bregman, who signed with the Boston Red Sox on a three-year, $120 million deal. The Cubs offer didn't come all that close, as they didn't offer a higher AAV, and their total money offered was dwarfed by the Detroit Tigers, who came in at six years.

“Obviously, disappointed. He’s a great player -- was a great fit,” Jed Hoyer said. “It's free agency. Ultimately, they got a deal in structure and amount that we couldn't match, but that's just the nature of it. But I'm thankful that I was able to pursue it. It was a really good opportunity. Now, we move forward.”

The Cubs remain excited about Shaw, who could start the season on the Opening Day roster if he performs well enough this spring, per Craig Counsell.

“Matt’s passed a lot of tests,” Counsell said. “He’s a talented young player. Yeah, I think Matt’s got a shot at it -- there’s no question about it. He’s squarely in the mix and he is going to get the first shot at it. But, it’s still a competition, too. And it’s [about] development.”

We'll see if Shaw can impress Counsell early on Thursday.