The Chicago Cubs are reportedly calling up top prospect Matt Shaw, who is expected to be in the starting lineup Monday night against the Miami Marlins. The big question now is who will Shaw replace on the 26-man roster and although the move hasn’t been made official MLB insider Jon Heyman has a pretty good idea.
According to Heyman, 30-year-old infielder Nicky Lopez did not travel with the Cubs to Florida and it appears as though the Cubs will be dumping the veteran for the second time within the past two months. The front office is reportedly trying to find a trade partner to take on Lopez.
So far the Cubs haven’t found a suitor for Lopez, who has now been DFA’d.
Lopez originally inked a one-year deal with the Cubs in early February. The Naperville native was hoping to earn a bench role out of spring training, but once the Tokyo Series arrived in mid-March, Lopez was notified that he was not going to make the team. He was eventually released, but was able to secure another opportunity with MLB playing time with the Los Angeles Angels.
Unfortunately for Lopez he wasn’t exactly given much of a chance to play and after only playing in four games with the Angels he was designated for assignment on April 18, and then elected free agency after clearing waivers the following day.
The Cubs brought Lopez back on April 23, as the team was looking for anyone to provide stable defense at third base after the team optioned Shaw to Triple-A. Lopez played in 15 games with the Cubs, including five starts at third base. His defense was solid at the hot corner, but the left-handed hitter was pretty much an automatic out at the plate.
Lopez was a dreadful 1-for-18, and walked four times in 22 plate appearances during his time with the Cubs. Not much of a surprise considering that Lopez has a career 72 wRC+ since breaking into the big leagues in 2019, with the Kansas City Royals.
So, with Lopez on his way out the Cubs will keep Jon Berti and Vidal Bruján on their bench. The obvious hope is that Shaw returns and provides better results at the dish, which is a pretty low bar compared to the production the Cubs have had from the position this year. Including Shaw’s numbers from his first stint on the club, third basemen on the Cubs have combined to hit .192/.276/.242, a 53 wRC+ in 203 plate appearances through May 18.
Bruján can still provide defensive versatility in the infield and outfield, can pinch run and does offer an option from the left side of the plate. As for Berti, the 35-year-old veteran has struggled as of late, going 2-for-28 so far in May, but it seems as though he’ll get a longer leash from the Cubs. Berti signed a $2 million contract with the Cubs this past offseason and was a lock to make the team at the start of spring training.
Final note on Lopez. After playing for the Royals for the first five seasons of his career Lopez’s next club will be his fifth since he was traded to the Atlanta Braves in 2023.
