The Chicago Cubs are looking great, leading the National League Central division with a 25-18 record, two games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals, but need to fill the biggest hole in their roster, third base.
The Cubs have not gotten much production offensively out of their third basemen this season. There was a clear path for Matt Shaw to take the bulk of the playing time, but poor performances led to Shaw being demoted to the minor leagues. Jon Berti and Nicky Lopez have not been faring much better for Chicago.
With a permanent third baseman being a question mark for the Cubs, Athlon Sport’s Joel Reuter proposed that they should trade for the Los Angeles Angels’ veteran Yoán Moncada.
“At a certain point, the Cubs can’t simply accept third base being an offensive black hole, and shuttling Shaw back and forth between Triple-A is only going to impede his development, so next time they call him up, they need to be confident he is in a position to succeed,” Reuter wrote.
“In the meantime, swinging a trade for a low-cost veteran to help plug the hole makes sense, and Yoán Moncada is a trade target worth considering, one the Cubs actually showed interest in during the offseason. It won’t take much in the way of prospect capital to acquire him if the Cubs are willing to absorb what’s left of his 2025 salary, especially considering the Angels once again appear more likely to finish in the AL West cellar than they do to contend for a playoff spot.”
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Moncada is on a one-year, $5 million deal, slashing .245/.383/.873 with four doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI in 59 plate appearances. The 29-year-old third baseman would provide Chicago with reliable offensive output, giving Shaw more time to develop in the minor leagues and a veteran presence as the team strives for a playoff run.
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