Cubs Showing Desperation in Third Baseman Trade Market

So, this rumor came out Sunday morning before the Cubs revealed that they were calling up Matt Shaw to play third base again. Still, it didn't really make sense to me then or any other time Cubs fans have pointed to Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon as a possible trade target.

According to USA Today's baseball insider Bob Nightengale, the Cubs are among several teams who are keeping tabs on McMahon and have some interest in the 30-year-old infielder. Nightengale also specifically named the Los Angeles Dodgers in regards to McMahon.

Via USA Today.

– Several teams, including the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers, are closely monitoring Colorado Rockies infielder Ryan McMahon in case he’s traded this summer.

On one hand, I understand why the Cubs would be exploring options for third base. Obviously the hope is that Shaw returns and after a few adjustments at Triple-A he starts to attack the baseball and make quality contact as he's shown throughout his minor league career. So far so good for Shaw, who has two multi-hit games against the Marlins this week.

It's actually nice to see that the Cubs are keeping an open mind to potentially adding someone at third because you can't just sit on your hands and wish things work out with Shaw. However, is Ryan McMahon really that much of an upgrade?

Before we get into the offensive production, McMahon's contract is a nightmare. Yeah, I know, the Cubs can afford it, but as we've seen with ownership it's not like they're aggressively trying to spend top dollar with other MLB teams. An addition here likely means they'll be less likely to improve a different area of the roster.

Anyway, McMahon signed a six-year extension worth $70 million with the Rockies that kicked in at the start of the 2022 season. That means McMahon is still owed $12 million in 2025, and $16 million in both 2026 and 2027. All that for a player who has been a worse offensive player than Jon Berti throughout his career?

So far in 2025, McMahon is slashing .201/.326/.365, with six home runs in 190 plate appearances. he has an 83 wRC+, and his numbers away from Colorado are horrendous. The lefty hitter has slashed .156/.262/.244, in 103 plate appearances outside of Coors Field in 2025.

In his career, McMahon has an 82 wRC+ on the road compared to a 95 wRC+ at home. Overall, that's an 89 wRC+ in 956 MLB games.

Sure, the defense is still good so you'd feel comfortable with McMahon starting at third base, but what exactly are you trading for him and would the Cubs still want to have his money on the books for two more years after 2025? Normally when teams trade for a guy and the other team eats a lot of the contract you're expected to trade away a pretty decent prospect or two. No chance the Cubs would do that for Ryan McMahon.

So yeah, I don't get the interest here by the Cubs. But it kinda shows how desperate they could find themselves in a few months if things don't improve at third base.

For now, let's keep the good vibes going with Matt Shaw.