Cubs considered top prospect to replace Christopher Morel at third base

The Chicago Cubs are a very flawed baseball team. The bullpen is among the worst in baseball and leads the National League with 15 blown saves. Their catching situation is arguably the worst in the majors as well. One issue that isn't talked about as much is their lackluster production at the hot corner.

Cubs third basemen rank 15th in the majors with a 101 WRC+ which isn't so bad, but they're 28th in the majors, worth 0.0 fWAR according to FanGraphs. The only teams below them are the Miami Marlins and the Chicago White Sox, the two worst teams record-wise in the majors.

Christopher Morel has appeared in 52 games at third base for the Cubs and it has gone about as well as you might've predicted entering the year. Morel has a 118 WRC+, but is a horrific defender at third base. Coupling that with some poor play from Nick Madrigal and you have one of the worst third base situations in the majors.

It has gotten to the point where the Cubs have considered promoting one of their top prospects Matt Shaw according to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic ($).

Cubs have considered Matt Shaw to replace Christopher Morel at third base

Morel ranks in the first percentile, worth -10 OAA according to Baseball Savant. He has eight errors and a .931 fielding percentage at third base. Simply put, he can't even play the position at a league-average level. Because of how this roster is built, it's easiest to play Morel at third base to ensure his bat has a regular spot in the lineup, but the experiment cannot go on for long if he can't play the position.

"The Cubs have evaluated alternatives to Christopher Morel at third base and remained open to the possibility that a prospect such as Matt Shaw could eventually become part of the solution."

Shaw, the Cubs No. 3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was taken by Chicago with the No. 13 pick of last year's draft and has already made his way up to AA. His bat hasn't been great at that level this season but his play has perked up a bit of late, with the 22-year-old posting a .781 OPS in his last 17 games.

The fact that Shaw isn't tearing up AA pitching gives the Cubs a real reason to hesitate when it comes to promoting him to AAA let alone the majors, but again, the Cubs need to do something at third base. Other than the incredibly streaky Patrick Wisdom and the underwhelming Miles Mastrobuoni, Chicago doesn't have many options that aren't Shaw.

The trade market is always an option, but the Cubs are currently three games under .500 and there's well over a month before the trade deadline is officially here.

The best-case scenario here would be Shaw's bat finally heating up and him taking over at the hot corner. Of course, they'd have to see that happen before seriously considering him. Shaw already potentially in the equation even before his bat has really gotten going is a good sign, though, that they're seriously considering finding a Morel alternative.