Unexpected Rookie Seizes Opportunity, May Open Season at Third Base for Cubs

The Chicago Cubs could have a player making his Major League debut at third base when they open the season against the Los Angeles Dodgers March 18 and 19 at the Tokyo Dome. 

But it might not end up being the rookie most would have expected. 

While top prospect Matt Shaw continues to work his way back into shape after suffering a left oblique injury, Rule 5 draft pick Gage Workman has taken advantage of the opportunity. In Chicago’s 10-2 loss to Arizona on March 3, Workman went 2-for-3 with the team’s lone RBI, raising his spring slash line to .364/.423/1.105 with 8 hits and 8 RBI in 22 at bats. 

“He’s probably in the toughest situation of anybody coming into camp,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “It’s a brand new organization – you know what the Rule 5 pick means – and I think he has handled it with a lot of maturity.” 

Gage Workman Puts Pressure on Cubs With Impressive Spring

GettyChicago Cubs third baseman Gage Workman, who was a Rule 5 Draft pick in December, could be signing autographs for Major League crowds this season.

It could have been a pressure-filled atmosphere for Workman, a fourth-round pick in 2020 by the Detroit Tigers who was selected by Chicago in the Rule 5 Draft in December. As such, Workman needed to prove to the Cubs that he’s capable of remaining on the active roster throughout the regular season, or else the team would have to expose him to outright waivers and offer him back to his original organization. 

Instead, Workman has put the pressure back on Chicago. The 6-foot-4, 202-pounder leads the team in home runs this spring with two, and his powerful left-handed swing has produced some of the hardest hit balls so far. 

In the loss to Arizona, Workman roped a 99-mph fastball from Diamondbacks reliever Justin Martinez for a 111.4-mph double into right-center field. For the day, Workman had an average bat speed on three balls in play of 78.4 mph, which would’ve ranked 4th in Major League Baseball last season. 

“It’s easier for this player to put a lot of pressure on himself in spring training. ‘I’ve got to make a good impression’ is kind of what’s going through your head, right?” Counsell said. “You can’t run from that, that’s the deal, man, like, we’ve got to make a decision on you. … There’s a lot of nerves and anxiety, and it’s so important to him to do good. And so you’re happy for somebody like that.”

Gage Workman’s Emergence has Allowed Cubs to be Cautious With Top Prospect Matt Shaw

Workman’s emergence has allowed Chicago to be cautious about Shaw, the team’s 13th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Maryland.  

In 2024, Shaw was named the player of the year in the Cubs’ farm system, as selected by Baseball America, after posting a combined slash line of .284/.379/.488/.867 with 21 home runs and 71 RBI in 121 games playing at Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. Shaw also played in the MLB Futures Game, as part of All-Star weekend last July, which provided the depth at third base that Chicago needed in order to make the December 2024 trade of third baseman Isaac Paredes and future third base option Cam Smith to the Houston Astros for outfielder Kyle Tucker. 

Shaw’s pathway to his Major League debut was sidetracked by the injury suffered just before the start of camp. However, he told Marquee Sports Network on February 27 that he felt close to being game ready. 

“At the end of the day, your body’s going to tell you what you need, and it was just saying to work on some other things and get back to being healthy before, you know, not rushing anything,” Shaw said. “But right now, it’s feeling great, so ready to rock and roll.” 

Shaw would be in the lineup for his spring training debut on March 2, a 7-3 loss to Cincinnati. He batted in the No. 2 spot and played at third base, finishing the game 0-for-3. 

And most importantly, he felt good. 

“It feels amazing to get back out there and just to play baseball,” Shaw said after the game. “I mean, that’s what we all look forward to, so it was a lot of fun to be back out there.” 

Shaw expressed confidence that he would be ready to go when the regular season starts. However, with just over a week remaining before the Cubs head overseas after their March 11 game, there is not much time for him to convince the team of that. 

“Really, I want Matt to be healthy, I want Matt to be prepared for a six-month season and today is the first day of that,” Counsell said. 

“This is a hard one because it’s short and that’s going to make this different. We’re going to kind of jump to the first thing we see and the positive or the negative — Matt Shaw is going to be a good major-league player for the Chicago Cubs, that’s the evaluation I’m making. But what happens the next eight half-games for any player, who knows? It could be a lot, good and bad, that could fool you.” 

Should Chicago need to turn to Workman to open the season, he feels that he’s done the work necessary to be ready. Either way, Workman has at the very least made his case to remain with the Cubs. 

“I’m just trying to take care of what I can take care of every day,” Workman said. “I feel like I’m playing well defensively. Playing well offensively. Just trying to be someone that the team could use throughout the year.” 

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