Will Dansby Swanson be the Cubs Shortstop of the Future?
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The Chicago Cubs pursuit of a top-tier free agent shortstop is widely known. General manager Jed Hoyer and owner Tom Ricketts have publicly stated their willingness to spend big this off-season.
Among their most intensely desired needs is a middle infielder.
Nico Hoerner has solidified his spot there, whether it's at second base or shortstop, he will man the Cubs infield for the foreseeable future. But the Chicago wants more.
Dansby Swanson, Carlos Correa, Trea Turner and Xander Boegarts are all available free agents this off-season. All play solid-to-Gold Glove level defense, and all four are fearsome hitters.
But free agency hasn't started just yet. The teams on which those players spent 2022 still have exclusive negotiating rights until free agency opens approximately on November 11.
The Atlanta Braves and Swanson though, may already be on bad terms.
Though actions like these are customary of many free agents, especially on the advice of their managers and agents, players generally don't unfollow their teams until after they have officially declared free agency, and Swanson still has about a week remaining.
It could that their working relationship is at an end and that the Braves and Swanson aren't going to negotiate further, or it could signal absolutely nothing.
Either way, Swanson had the best season of his career in 2022. He won't lack for suitors. The Cubs almost certainly will be one of them.
Swanson, though expensive, will demand less than any of his fellow free agent shortstops. And other than Correa, who will be most expensive, he's younger too.
The Cubs aren't looking to compete immediately. Swanson gives them the best chance of aging gracefully and keeping a high-floor compared to his contract.
Turner will be on the wrong side of 30 on 2023 Opening Day, Boegarts has struggled as a defender his whole career until 2023, and has shown an unwillingness to move away from shortstop, while Correa may cost as much as $300 million.
Swanson's price tag, on the other hand, will likely fall between $140-$190 million. He has a track record of solid defense, and though he started off his career slowly, since 2019 he's slashed .261/.325/.444.
Swanson is no superstar, but he's young, and indelibly consistent. He can be relied upon to provide solid defense, and an above-average pat at shortstop for many years to come.
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