The Chicago Cubs have surged to a winning record and a division lead after a busy offseason.
The front office opted to trade away Cody Bellinger and bring in Kyle Tucker in a move that has paid strong dividends so far this season. It also made some significant changes to the starting rotation and bullpen, and seems to have answers in center field thanks to Pete Crow-Armstrong and at catcher thanks to Carson Kelly.
But one critical position it has struggled to fill has been third base. The Cubs brought in Jon Berti and Justin Turner, two veterans who can play the position, as it tested whether youngster Matt Shaw was ready to take the reins.
But after giving Shaw a look to open the season, the Cubs moved him back to the minors and have reportedly decided on a trade addition who could offer a boost in the meantime.
“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,” Bob Nightengale reported for USA Today.
McMahon could be the kind of high-upside addition who offers a jolt at the hot corner while Shaw continues to progress in the minors.
Though he has struggled to a 0.9 WAR so far this season, McMahon earned an All-Star bid last year thanks to a .242/.325/.397 slash line and 20 homers for the struggling Rockies. As his current team spirals toward one of the worst seasons in modern Major League Baseball history, he could be on the move at midseason.
McMahon is in the fourth season of a six-year, $70 million contract and he’s owed $16 million in both 2026 and 2027. That would be a reasonable price to pay if the Cubs think he’s going to bounce back to his All-Star form, particularly as they wait for Shaw to develop a bit more.
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