The Chicago Cubs recently demoted Matt Shaw to Triple-A Iowa. They could swing a trade for his replacement near the trade deadline and gear up for a postseason push.
Shaw was the organization’s top prospect, but struggled after making his debut this season. The Cubs are trying to capitalize on their time with Kyle Tucker, who is slated to become a free agent after the season. Newsweek’s Andrew Wright tabbed Ryan McMahon as a potential trade target for the Cubs, who now need an upgrade at third base.
“McMahon is off to an atrocious start, as he is batting just .195 and leads the major leagues in strikeouts with 35,” wrote Wright. “Despite the poor average, McMahon’s .313 on-base percentage and 13 walks shows he is still willing to take his walks and find ways on base. This season has been a bit of an outlier for McMahon, a career .242 hitter who has hit 20-plus home runs and 20-plus doubles in each of the last five full seasons he’s played in. A change of scenery from the worst team in baseball to a division-leading team may be exactly what McMahon needs to kickstart his season.”
McMahon signed a five-year, $70 million deal in 2022. Last season, he was an All-Star and hit 20 home runs. He is a versatile infielder, but has made 557 starts at third base in his career.
If the Cubs do lose Tucker in free agency, they need to make sure they do everything they can to try and win this season. Leaving a hole at third base is not the way to do that.
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The Colorado Rockies are poised to become sellers at the trade deadline, and the Cubs could be willing to part ways with prospects to add a player like McMahon to help make a run.
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