The Chicago Cubs may have unexpectedly solved one of their biggest roster concerns by discovering Pedro Ramírez, a 22-year-old rookie who has quickly developed into one of the team’s most valuable and versatile players. However, if Chicago wants to maximize his long-term value, there is still one important area of his game the organization wants to explore: the outfield.
The Cubs’ need for another versatile player became more obvious when Matt Shaw suffered a wrist injury near the end of June. Shaw had become an important piece of Chicago’s roster because of his ability to play virtually anywhere on the field aside from shortstop and catcher. He also produced an above-average 105 wRC+, making his combination of defensive flexibility and offensive production particularly difficult to replace.
Fortunately for Chicago, Ramirez was waiting for his opportunity.
Since reaching the major leagues, the 22-year-old has demonstrated that he can handle several infield positions. He has played every infield spot except shortstop, giving manager Craig Counsell another player capable of moving around the diamond depending on matchups, injuries and lineup needs.
More importantly, Ramirez has not sacrificed offense while embracing that versatility. He has hovered around the .300 mark while producing a strong 119 wRC+, indicating that his offensive performance has been well above league average. Defensively, he has also accumulated positive metrics, including two Defensive Runs Saved and two Outs Above Average.
That combination has led to comparisons with former MLB star Ben Zobrist, one of baseball’s most famous super-utility players. Zobrist built an extremely valuable career by playing multiple positions while consistently contributing offensively, and Ramirez is beginning to show some of the same characteristics.
But there is still another level Ramirez could reach.
The Cubs are reportedly interested in giving him more experience in the outfield corners. According to reporting from The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma, Chicago wants Ramirez to receive additional work in left and right field as the season progresses.
The transition would not be entirely unfamiliar to Ramirez, but it would still represent a new challenge. He has accumulated only 45 professional innings in the outfield, all of them in left field, and has appeared in only one major-league inning there.
Even so, learning to play the corners could dramatically increase his value to the Cubs.
Chicago’s need for outfield flexibility could become especially important during the offseason. Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki are both scheduled to reach free agency following the 2026 season, leaving the Cubs with potentially significant decisions to make regarding their outfield.
The Cubs could certainly attempt to retain one or both veterans, but committing to expensive long-term contracts for players moving deeper into their careers could carry substantial financial and roster implications.
That makes internal solutions increasingly attractive.
Ramirez could become one of those solutions if he proves capable of handling the outfield consistently. His ability to switch-hit would provide additional flexibility, while his success against left-handed pitching could make him especially useful in different lineup configurations.
The Cubs could potentially deploy him as a regular starter at one position while still retaining the ability to move him around when circumstances demand it.
Interestingly, Chicago already has another player capable of serving that role in Shaw. Before his injury, Shaw had become extremely valuable precisely because of his ability to move around the field. Rather than forcing Shaw permanently into the outfield, the Cubs could potentially build an unusually versatile roster by keeping both Shaw and Ramirez available.
That would give Chicago two players capable of filling different positions, covering injuries and providing matchup advantages throughout a long season.
The depth could become even more valuable if one of the organization’s promising prospects forces his way into the outfield picture. Players such as Josiah Hartshorn or Kane Kepley could potentially accelerate the Cubs’ need to make difficult decisions about how their young talent fits together.
If that happens, having Ramirez and Shaw available as versatile reserve options could give Chicago one of the deepest utility groups in the league.
The immediate focus, however, appears to be Ramirez’s development in the outfield. Expect the Cubs to give him more opportunities in the corners during the final stretch of the season as they evaluate whether he can become more than an infield utility player.
For a team with major offseason questions ahead, that experiment could have significant consequences.
Ramirez has already shown that he can hit, defend and adapt to multiple infield positions. If he can add reliable outfield defense to that résumé, the Cubs could have something even more valuable: a young, switch-hitting, multi-position player capable of filling virtually any roster need.
Chicago may have struck gold with Ramirez. Now, the organization simply needs to determine just how versatile its unexpected rookie gem can become.
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