I see Shaw has started 1 for 10 in Des Moines.
I'd just play Berti at 3rd for now. He seems to be a pretty decent fielder there. Let Shaw get his hitting figured out and if he doesn't then trade for a 3B later in the season.
*** Official 2025 Chicago Cubs Thread***
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I'd just play Berti at 3rd for now. He seems to be a pretty decent fielder there. Let Shaw get his hitting figured out and if he doesn't then trade for a 3B later in the season.
If Berti can play defense and get on base at a decent rate we could get away with playing him everyday just for his baserunning ability. He could have 40-50 steals with regular pt.
Ballestareos is the guy I’d love to see called up if they cut Workman loose. He’s not the ideal fit but he’s the bat that would fit great off our bench. Basically PH, DH on occasion, and play some 1st after he ph for our 3B and move Busch across the diamond. Problem is they won’t do that with Turner still on the roster.
Busch has settled in nicely but I wonder if they would consider trying Busch at 3B some if they did call up Ballestaros as that would open up 1B to give him some regular AB. Busch played some 3B before but since the Cubs have never played him there since acquiring him makes me wonder if he just can't handle playing defense there? Have to hope they can get by with Berti and Brujan for now, Shaw needs to get work in at Iowa still before he gets his next chance. I said it all offseason that not addressing 3B even in the short term could bite us and it is right now.
As for Workman, unfortunately he's just not ready to play at this level yet and the Cubs can't afford to keep him in Chicago all year at this point. Would love to be able to acquire his rights and send him down th the minors to continue developing but rarely does that happen with Rule 5 picks because of all the steps in the process to even get to that point.
I doubt Ballestareos would be used as a regular but if he could DH once a week then oh and stay in and slide Busch to third to give Ballestareos a second AB. He can also PH for our C maybe getting him a dozen ABs a week he could make an impact. The infielder they just called up can also play all the OF spots not that you’d want to sit one of those guys often but it doesn’t give more options
If Busch could handle 3rd he would already be playing there.
Not necessarily, he’s a gg quality first baseman. Moving him over mid game would strictly be to get a needed bat (Ballestareos) into the game.
That was my thought, he's played there some before but as I said the Cubs must not think he can play it regularly else he probably would have been given some starts there. Was just me rambling mostly how if he was able to slide to 3B some would open up some options to get some AB for some guys at 1B.
If he keeps hitting in DSM I don't think they'll have a choice in another 30-60 days.
I prefer to bring young guys along slowly. Let them adjust to major league pitching and pressures. IMO Ballesteros' trajectory for 2025 is tied to Turner. If Turner washes out, then bring Ballesteros up. Play him at C, 1B, DH & PH.
Having a 3rd catcher on the roster provides a ton of flexibility in late innings. The fact that Kelly and Amaya are hitting well opens the door for them to play some DH as well and maybe get Ballesteros behind the plate with some consistency.
Your point on Busch playing some 3B is interesting. Not sure he could do so at a high level, but if he can even be average defensively, that opens the door long-term for Bellesteros.
I know 3rd base is an issue, but the offense is not an issue overall. Stick Berti there for a couple weeks and hopefully Shaw is ready for another chance.
Ballesteros is most valuable if he can stick behind the plate. He lost 20 pounds this offseason so it will be interesting to see how that affects him both offensively and defensively. Obviously the offense is looking fine so far.
I think the best chance we see him this year is if an injury occurs, or if the offense becomes a real issue. In which case maybe he hits too much to be sent back down, but I don't think he will come up just to get a few at bats here and there. At least not this year.
When teams only carried five relievers they were almost two deep in the field. Today there’s value with flexibility. Busch doesn’t have to play there everyday but it’s nice if he can do it on occasion for a couple innings.
For some reason I just don't think they cut bait on Turner. They'll keep him on an occasional platoon starter and pinch hitter. Vibes on these team are clearly better this year, and I imagine he has something to do with that. By all accounts his a great veteran presence.
Saw an article talking about his diminishing bat speed. Hopefully he can be productive
Yeah its been on a decline for a while and may be too much to overcome. But I agree that he'll get a decent leash. Not only is he a veteran presence but him and PCA have really hit it off.
