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Although the Chicago Cubs (28-19) lost Justin Steele for the year due to Tommy John surgery and placed Shot Imanaga and Ian Happ on the injured list in May, morale is still exceptionally high on the North Side. This ballclub is conquering all the adversity the baseball gods have cursed it with through the early portion of the campaign, but president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer is not content.
He is recalling prized prospect Matt Shaw in an effort to raise the Cubbies' seemingly impressive ceiling to even bigger heights. Though, with the 23-year-old third baseman set to return to the MLB roster, someone will have to go. Hoyer is working on a solution to that conundrum, one that he hopes will land Chicago an additional asset for later use.
The Cubs are looking to trade versatile infielder Nicky Lopez, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network. He is not traveling with the team for its road series versus the Miami Marlins, suggesting that his brief tenure in the Windy City is coming to a close.
Cubs move forward with their blueprint
Lopez signed with the Cubs in late April after the Los Angeles Angels designated him for assignment. He is batting only .056 in 18 at-bats with the club, which unfortunately makes him quite expendable. Nevertheless, Hoyer and the front office clearly believe his defensive prowess could generate interest on the trade market. Inevitable injury troubles around the league might set a deal into motion.
The 2016 fifth-round draft pick knows what his role is at this point of his career. He will catch on with another organization and fill in where he is needed. Shaw's stay in Triple-A Iowa was always going to be temporary. His first foray into the big leagues was underwhelming — .172 batting average, 18 strikeouts and .241 slugging percentage in 18 games — but he will ideally re-enter The Show with more confidence and poise.
Shaw is slashing .286/.409/.560/.970 with six home runs for Iowa, making it easier for the Cubs to give him another look at this point of the year. He joins a lineup that is already receiving notable production from Kyle Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Dansby Swanson, Seiya Suzuki and Michael Busch, to name a few.
If the No. 18 prospect in baseball can more consistently display his offensive abilities in Chicago, this franchise may just obtain the magical formula it requires to best the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and the rest of a taxing National League. While Matt Shaw tries to prepare himself for his latest opportunity, Nicky Lopez waits to see what the next chapter of his career has in store.
