PITTSBURGH — Matt Shaw will not be activated off the injured list before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell confirmed Friday, setting another variable for the club’s plans to bulk up its pitching staff.Shaw, a first-round pick in the 2023 draft who developed into a Gold Glove finalist as a rookie third baseman last year, has been sidelined with a sprained left wrist since June 28.Shaw was frequently mentioned in trade talks ahead of last year’s deadline, when Cubs executives Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins balked at the prices to acquire an established starting pitcher who would remain under club control for multiple seasons.Shaw’s name popped up again during the offseason, particularly after Chicago signed Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175 million contract. The Boston Red Sox, Bregman’s former team, considered Shaw among a group of potential replacements for the All-Star third baseman.Like the Red Sox, the Seattle Mariners are a pitching-centric organization that could match up well with the Cubs, on paper, in terms of trade pieces. As The Athletic previously reported, the Mariners are searching for a right-handed hitter who can make an impact.Shaw, 24, produced a 3-WAR season last year, largely on the strength of his solid defense and the second-half adjustments that helped him produce 11 home runs and an .839 OPS after the All-Star break.The Cubs signed Alex Bregman to a five-year deal this winter. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)Shaw also adapted after Bregman took his job, adding to his defensive versatility and organizing his offensive approach. This season, Shaw has received playing time at all three outfield spots, every infield position except for shortstop, and designated hitter. Even without the same consistent at-bats this year, by OPS+, he’s been roughly five points better than the average major-league hitter.Before signing Bregman, the Cubs had placed such a high value on Shaw’s future as a two-way third baseman that he was viewed as close to untouchable in trade talks. Given the amount of potential free agents on the current roster, the Cubs aren’t going to give away an established young player, either. It’s also difficult to make an injured player a headliner in a blockbuster deal.“It’s healing,” Counsell said before Friday’s 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in 10 innings. “It’s close. It’s just that the wrist, for hitters, is a little sticky. If it’s not perfect, you’re going to have symptoms. We just got to get past the last little dose of inflammation and get that out of there. And then we should be good to move forward quickly.”If James Triantos is wondering where he might be playing after the deadline, or what a trade could do for the rest of his career, he didn’t let on while chatting with a small group of reporters at his locker inside PNC Park’s visitors’ clubhouse. He was too excited about the prospect of making his major-league debut.The Cubs promoted Triantos from Triple A and optioned Kevin Alcántara back to their Iowa affiliate prior to Friday’s game, hoping to give Triantos some exposure to the major-league level and get Alcántara back into a rhythm with regular playing time.Between Shaw (when healthy), Triantos, Alcántara and Pedro Ramírez, the Cubs appear to have a surplus of overlapping young, versatile players. At a time when 12 of their pitchers are on the injured list and the farm system is lacking high-end pitching talent, something has to give.The franchise has also committed more than $600 million to Bregman, Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong, who are all signed through at least 2029, and some of those deals run into 2032. “I’m just going to control what I can control,” Triantos said. “And then when I get an opportunity, go make the most of it and stay present. That’s all I’m trying to do right now. I’m not too worried about all that other stuff. I feel like it would only distract me.”When the Cubs selected Triantos in the second round of the 2021 draft, their evaluation revolved around the idea that the best college hitters looked like this in high school. The upside included Triantos’ decision to reclassify and graduate a year early, and the Cubs bought out his college commitment to North Carolina with a $2.1 million signing bonus.Now 23, Triantos made a significant offensive jump during his second Triple-A season, batting .306 with seven home runs, 52 RBIs and a .784 OPS through 88 games.“I control my attitude,” Triantos said. “I get to play a game I love and get paid for it every single day. You can’t really ask for more than that. This is what I love to do every single day. This is what I eat, sleep, breathe.”Having the patience to incorporate young talent and develop players at the major-league level is one of Counsell’s strengths as a manager. Part of that strategy involves rotating certain players between Triple A and the majors with the understanding that their roles will be limited. They are there to learn.Counsell doesn’t foresee much playing time for Triantos at second base, third base or left field. If Triantos isn’t traded, he will likely be sent back to Iowa at some point this summer. And if Alcántara isn’t traded, the outfielder will probably be recalled to Wrigley Field later this season.“Everything is faster,” Counsell said. “You got to be prepared. There’s a different language that every individual team speaks. And there’s, frankly, more accountability to that, so you get it on a little bit slower basis if you’re not in there every day.“This is an experience that we think can be really helpful for (Triantos), for maybe the time when you have to come up and play a lot.”That was the big idea when the Cubs promoted Ramírez from Iowa in late May. Except Ramírez, 22, has looked so polished as a switch-hitter, and so smooth as an infielder, that the club hasn’t sent him back to Des Moines. With the trade deadline approaching, the manager raves about his maturity and baseball IQ in a way that makes you think he will be a keeper.“He’s ahead of how you approach situations,” Counsell said, “and that’s really impressive.”