The Cubs may be pointing toward a bigger role for Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramirez, but making them the full answer in the outfield would be a gamble the roster can’t afford.
With Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki set to hit free agency this offseason, the early read is that Chicago may be preparing for a changing look in the corner-outfield mix. Jed Hoyer has already hinted that Ramirez and Shaw could see expanded opportunities next season, and that has fueled the sense that a youth movement might be on the table on the position-player side.
But this isn’t the moment for the Cubs to get too comfortable with that idea. They’re still inside their contention window, and depending on how this offseason unfolds, that window could already be narrowing by the time 2027 arrives. That’s why handing Shaw and Ramirez starting jobs without adding more help feels too thin.
The experience gap alone is hard to ignore. Shaw played 35 games in the outfield last year, while Ramirez logged just one game in left field. Both could develop into viable options over time, but for a club that expects to win in 2027, leaning on that little seasoning would bring real risk.
There’s also the bat-to-bat issue. Both players have handled left-handed pitching well, but the numbers against righties tell a different story.
Ramirez hit .237/.298/.364 against right-handers, with a wRC+ of 82. Shaw went .200/.284/.356 with a wRC+ of 79.
That doesn’t mean either player can’t improve with more reps. It does mean the Cubs can’t treat that kind of growth as the entire plan. Shaw and Ramirez may have bigger roles coming, but before free agency, the expectation has to be that Hoyer and the front office understand they need more than just those two to cover the outfield.
One possible path would be something closer to a platoon approach, the kind the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays have used successfully. That would give the Cubs a different look in the lineup next year, rather than asking unproven corner outfielders to shoulder everything on their own.
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