This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian's Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- The Cubs answered the need for star power in the heart of the lineup by partnering with the Astros on the blockbuster trade that brought Kyle Tucker to Chicago. In the process, the North Siders created another question that needs solving.

Who is going to play third base on Opening Day?

¡°I think you have to keep all options open, especially in December,¡± Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins said in the immediate wake of the trade.

The Cubs had their third baseman in righty slugger Isaac Paredes, who was acquired from the Rays at the Trade Deadline last season. Chicago shipped Paredes -- along with highly touted prospect Cam Smith and pitcher Hayden Wesneski -- to Houston in order to convince the Astros to part with Tucker.

Hawkins said the Cubs will explore the free-agent market for possible fits at third base, but there is also a chance that the team looks internally for the solution.

¡°There's opportunity for our guys in the Minor Leagues,¡± Hawkins said. ¡°If there's players on the free-agent market that match up with us, that's something we'll tackle here in the coming weeks. ¡­ And certainly, I think if I'm a guy in Double-A or Triple-A last year that plays third base, I'm looking at Wrigley Field right now and saying, ¡®Hey, I¡¯ve got a path.¡¯¡±

The most obvious name in that category is Matt Shaw, MLB Pipeline¡¯s top Cubs prospect and the No. 22-ranked prospect on the Top 100 list. The 23-year-old Shaw -- selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2023 Draft -- focused on second and shortstop in ¡¯23 before working diligently on a move to third base and playing that spot more in ¡¯24.

Last season, Shaw slashed .284/.379/.488 with 21 homers, 19 doubles, 71 RBIs and 31 steals in 121 games between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. He continued to man third while helping Team USA take bronze in the Premier12 tournament in November. Shaw made the All-World Team after slashing .412/.500/.706 with a tourney-high 14 RBIs and 24 total bases.

If the Cubs do not deem Shaw ready for Opening Day, the team could look for a short-term answer (externally or internally) while he continues to develop. First baseman Michael Busch has experience at third (though the Cubs really like the defender he has grown into at first base) and Chicago also recently grabbed infielder Gage Workman in the Rule 5 Draft. Miles Mastrobuoni and Luis Vazquez are other options on the 40-man roster.

During the Winter Meetings, Cubs manager Craig Counsell said there is a group of prospects from the upper levels -- Shaw among them -- that could impact the 2025 team.

¡°They could be depth. Some of them could be a regular by the end of the year,¡± Counsell said. ¡°Those are the guys that force their way onto a team or force their way into a platoon situation, whatever it may be. And I fully anticipate that to happen. Maybe just one of them, but hopefully more than one of them.¡±