It's been more than a decade since Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman were side-by-side quite like this.
In the 2015 MLB Draft, the Arizona Diamondbacks took Swanson No. 1 overall out of Vanderbilt. The Houston Astros made Bregman the second pick, out of LSU.
Now, they'll be partners on the left side of the Chicago Cubs' infield.
The Cubs signed Bregman to a five-year, $175 million contract on Saturday night. He joins Swanson, who will be in his fourth season with the Cubs in 2026.
That's a cool connection in its own right, but it doesn't stop there.
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Bregman wears the number 2 on his uniform to remember that he went second in his draft and not first.
Now, he gets to play with the guy who was the reason that Bregman didn't go first.
Surely, Bregman won't have any hard feelings toward Swanson. It's not Dansby's fault that the Diamondbacks picked him and not Bregman.
Things worked out great for Bregman in Houston, anyway. He's a world champion from his time with the Astros.
Now, he'll join forces with Swanson. It can't be that often that players taken in the top-two spots of an MLB Draft end up teammates in any capacity, especially right alongside one another in an infield.
The Cubs will hope that together, they can bring a World Series title to Wrigley Field.
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