The Chicago Cubs are giving Matt Shaw a second chance. While that's great news for Shaw, who struggled during his first big-league stint but has been raking at Triple-A Iowa, it's bad news for one struggling veteran. Shaw slashed just .172/.294/.241 in 68 plate appearances during his first MLB stint. In Iowa, he was hitting .286 with a .969 OPS.
While Shaw's promotion is great news for the 23-year-old and the Cubs system as a whole – he is the No. 1 prospect on the farm – it's bad news for one superutility player just trying to find a home. That would be Nicky Lopez, who didn't travel with the Cubs to Miami and is now reportedly available via trade.
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Cubs are giving up on Nicky Lopez, who could be traded
Lopez has been dreadful for the Cubs this season, hitting just .042 and accumulating a -0.5 WAR. Lopez was brought back to Chicago about four weeks ago, and he was grateful just to get an opportunity.
“I’m so happy to be here,” Lopez said. “It’s been a dream of mine to be in this clubhouse.”
Craig Counsell gave Lopez every opportunity to lock down the job at third base. Unfortunately for Lopez, he didn't make the most of it.
“It doesn't change the nature of third base here,” Counsell said at the time. “We’re going to have a different player at that position kind of game to game. And I think you’ve seen, we’re going to platoon, essentially. Defense, that’s one of Nicky’s strengths as well. You’re going to see multiple third basemen, I think, in the game on a day-to-day basis. And I think Nicky fits and is kind of able to execute that profile.”
Lopez's strength may be his defense, but the Cubs cannot afford to have a gaping hole in their lineup. This isn't little league. What Lopez can bring if he can find a way to improve his bat speed is positional flexibility and small-ball potential. At his best, Lopez can put the ball in play and create some havoc on the basepaths. He just hasn't done that in Chicago.
The Cubs will seek a trade partner for Lopez first, but should they fail, he should be designated for assignment.