(670 The Score) Even though the Cubs are set with Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner at shortstop and second base, respectively, they could look to take a middle infielder with the No. 13 overall pick in the first round of the MLB Draft on Sunday evening.
That's a possibility on their radar because after the top 10 projected picks, there's good depth among the middle infielder prospects.
"The depth of the draft can be characterized as having position player depth," Cubs vice president of scouting Dan Kantrovitz said on Inside the Clubhouse recently. "Depending on what happens in the pick in front of us, we will be looking at a fair amount of position players. It's no secret that there are a number of middle infielders in that category. It may be more of a position players draft."
The Cubs have drafted a lot of pitchers in recent years, but developing them has been a challenge for more than a decade. Left-hander Justin Steele is the first homegrown All-Star pitcher who will represent the Cubs in the Midsummer Classic since 2008. (Jeff Samardzija had an All-Star season in 2014, when the Cubs traded him to the Athletics shortly before the All-Star break.)
In 2021, the Cubs took Kansas State left-hander Jordan Wicks in the first round. At No. 7 overall last season, they selected Oklahoma right-hander Cade Horton.
"As the draft is unfolding, as a scouting director, you try to see where we are on our depth chart as far as talent goes," Kantrovitz said. "Clearly, last year we went in with more of a pitching focus. It was more of an artifact of where we had spots and what we had needs for internally. But when it comes to the big-money picks, the ones that are at the top, those we want to go in with sort of an open mind and make sure we are opportunistic. If someone falls to us at 13, whether it's a high school hitter or college pitcher, we are ready. This year, we are taking the same mindset of being pretty open-minded. As we get deeper in the draft, at that time, you look at your minor league depth charts."
MLB Pipeline draft guru Jim Callis has mentioned Mitchell (N.J.) High third baseman Aidan Miller and Strawberry Crest (Dover, Fla.) High shortstop Arjun Nimmala as possible fits for the Cubs at No. 13 overall. University of Maryland shortstop Matt Shaw and Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.) High shortstop Colin Houck are another pair of prospects projected to be taken in the middle of the first round who could be fits for the Cubs.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
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