Cubs Trade Idea Ships Matt Shaw, Moisés Ballesteros for Alex Bregman originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Chicago Cubs should be aggressive at the trade deadline.
At 46-32, the Cubs hold a 3.5-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the National League Central and look well-positioned to go on a run this October. This crucial 2025 campaign coincides with contract years for star outfielder Kyle Tucker and President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer.
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Neither of them is in Chicago to waste time, and adding a marquee third baseman should be atop the front office’s wishlist. One option and a best fit, according to Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan of ESPN, is Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman.
Here is what they had to say:
“Bregman has been an elite big league hitter since he entered the league in 2016 but has leaned more into power this year, with his highest isolated power since 2019. Most of his underlying power indicators (barrel rate, maximum exit velo, average launch angle and hard hit rate) are at career highs. His $40 million salary — and the chance to opt into two more years at $40 million annually — significantly shortens the list of teams that would take on his deal.”
A blockbuster Cubs-Red Sox trade could look something like this:
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Chicago receives: 3B Alex Bregman
Boston receives: 3B Matt Shaw, C/1B Moisés Ballesteros (No. 3)
Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw (6) throws to first for an out against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth inning at Busch Stadium.Joe Puetz-Imagn Images
The Cubs have been notoriously stingy, especially given their big city, big market resources, under this ownership regime. They were outbid for Bregman’s services this past offseason, but have a chance to capitalize on their miss.
Bregman is currently on the 10-day injured list with a quad injury, but is not expected to miss much more time. It came at an unfortunate time as the 31-year-old is having one of his better seasons as a Big Leaguer. Bregman is batting .299 with a .938 OPS, a 159 OPS+, 11 home runs, and 22 walks to 42 strikeouts over 51 games.
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Chicago does have former No. 1 prospect Matt Shaw at the hot corner, but his .219 batting average, .610 OPS, and 77 OPS+ are not going to cut it for a team with real title aspirations. Flipping him for an instant upgrade could put this team over the top.
Ballesteros is another top prospect for the Cubs. Still, he is easier to sacrifice with Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya (who is on the shelf for now) having phenomenal seasons at the plate.
Boston also gets to replenish its already strong farm system and induce a mini reset on this underwhelming season.
This deal would be contingent upon Bregman opting in and sticking with Chicago. There are risks involved, but Hoyer and co. are in no position to take the conservative path.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.