Thanks to Red Bull, Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson seems to have gotten his season back on track offensively after struggling during the month of April.
Swanson finding his offensive approach is something that the Cubs will need for not just this season. Swanson is in the middle of the seven-year deal he signed with the Cubs prior to the 2023 season. If the Cubs are going to avoid a Jason Heyward-type regret, Swanson will need to provide value in the Cubs’ starting lineup that extends beyond his defense.
Having said that, Swanson is quickly approaching the wrong side of 30 while still being under contract with the Cubs until 2030. It would seem to be in the Cubs’ best interest to begin thinking about what life after Swanson looks like.
That may be the hidden reasoning behind the Cubs’ selection in Keith Law’s first 2025 MLB Mock Draft for The Athletic (Subscription Required). Despite not really having a definitive explanation for the selection, Law has the Cubs taking high school shortstop Daniel Pierce with the No. 17 selection in the draft. A stark contrast from the college pitcher that MLB Pipeline had the Cubs targeting in their mock draft.
Cubs find their shortstop of the future in latest mock draft
As Law notes, the Cubs have leaned heavily toward college players with their recent first-round picks. Over the last two seasons, the Cubs took Matt Shaw in 2023 and Cam Smith in 2024. Shaw and Smith were considered to be prospects who could ascend quickly through the minor league system, and that proved true with both making their Major League debuts on Opening Day this season. Of course, Smith’s debut was with the Houston Astros.
For Piece, there’s the belief that he will turn into a natural power hitter as he gets stronger. Pierce also has a verbal commitment to the University of Georgia, so if the Cubs were to take him in the first round, there would need to be an assurance that he wouldn’t choose to play out his collegiate career. Having said that, as a high school prospect, Piece would give the Cubs an early idea of one option for when Swanson’s time with the team is winding down.