The Chicago Cubs began the season with top prospect Matt Shaw as their Opening Day third baseman, but that didn't work out as planned at all, with the 23-year-old getting sent back down to Triple-A after just 18 games played. Jon Berti has played the majority of the third base in his place and has played well, but given his career track record, it's hard to expect him to be productive all year. Given that, the Cubs can turn to an unexpected prospect like Jonathon Long to fill in.
In an ideal world, the Cubs would go back to Shaw sooner rather than later, but given Shaw's struggles in the minors since getting demoted, it's anyone's best guess as to when he'll be back in the majors.
The lack of a clear solution could give the Cubs an opportunity to roll with Long, their No. 13 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, at some point.
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Jonathon Long can give the Cubs an offensive spark at third base
Would this be the most ideal fit? Probably not. While Long can play third base, only four of his 25 Triple-A appearances this season have come at the hot corner. While his glove at third base can be suspect, his bat is getting tough to ignore.
Long is slashing .330/.408/.451 with two home runs and 15 RBI in 25 games played this season for Triple-A Iowa. Sure, he only has one month of Triple-A experience under his belt, but those numbers speak for themselves. Long has been scorching the ball, and given the fact that he has three multi-hit games in his last five appearances (including a four-hit showing), he isn't exactly slowing down.
Should the Cubs promote Long right now? Probably not. Berti has played well, giving the Cubs adequate production at the position for now. However, again, Berti's track record suggests that his bat will slow down sooner rather than later. If and when that happens, it wouldn't be a surprise at all to see the Cubs give Long his first taste of MLB action as long as he continues to rake in the upper minors.
Shaw is the long-term answer, but that doesn't mean he's ready right now. A prospect like Long, who might not be as highly touted but is destroying Triple-A, might be a better short-term fix for Chicago.