With the Chicago Cubs getting ready to ship out for Japan this week, roster questions about who will head overseas for the team's two-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers still loom. The team's top prospect, Matt Shaw, is more shrouded in mystery than anybody to this point, and he awaits his fate to see if he will make his MLB debut this month.
On the good news front, infielder Nicky Lopez has learned that he will not be heading to Japan, and he looks ready to opt out of his deal and explore other options. That means one less depth piece for the Cubs. Shaw's 2-of-12 line in spring training is a bit skewed. Although he has only recorded the two hits, we're talking about a minimal sample size. If Shaw goes 2-3 in his next outing, his .167 batting average turns into a respectable .267, just for perspective on how small the sample is.
If you've watched Shaw take an at-bat, you've seen the discipline at he plate, the long at-bats and low chase rates, and simply not getting the results when putting the ball in play. Elsewhere, he has looked fantastic defensively at the hot corner, having already made a couple of tough plays appear routine.
No, the Cubs aren't going to start the year with Vidal Brujan as their everyday third baseman to hopefully manipulate Shaw's service time. Given how much Jed Hoyer values his draft picks, it would make zero sense for him to manipulate Shaw's service time when there are now incentives to get these younger top prospects in the game, especially given that Hoyer is on a contract year and has nothing to lose.
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The time for Matt Shaw to shine is now, but there is one player to keep an eye on
Interestingly enough, the Cubs do have one player that could give Shaw a run for his money to start at third in Japan. Rule-5 draft selection Gage Workman has looked fantastic all spring. In 33 plate appearances, Workman is slashing .414/.455/.759 with three home runs, 12 RBIs, and two stolen bases. If you need a reason to at least hold Shaw back until the regular Opening Day at the end of March, it's due to Workman's emergence.
The immediate argument is that Workman has never appeared in a professional game at a level higher than Double-A. This spring, however, he is showing it might not matter. At the very least, the Cubs need to bring Workman to Japan.
As a rule-5 draft pick, he needs to be on the Cubs roster for the duration of the major league season, and having to return him to Detroit would be highly counterproductive for a team that is not only looking to stay under the luxury tax, but have a good player with every year of team control on his rookie deal remaining, and thus, a cheap contract for the next several years.
The argument that Workman looks ready for a starting job more so than Shaw is interesting. Shaw has looked good, but Workman also passes the eye test, and then some. The Cubs could rock with Workman at third, then utilize a bench consisting of Turner, Brujan, Jon Berti, and Carson Kelly, and have every position covered. That way, Shaw can play daily in Arizona and get as many reps as possible. This will be the biggest storyline as the Cubs construct their finalized roster for Japan.