Dodgers Rumors: LA Was Never A Likely Candidate to Land Swanson

Among other positions needing to be filled, the Dodgers have been working to figure out a shortstop replacement for the 2023 season.

After Trea Turner left for Philadelphia, there have been no new pickups in replacement of him. The team can look to in-house options like Gavin Lux or Chris Taylor, but are still in the market for a replacement either through free agency or trade.

Dansby Swanson was a name that has swirled around, as he was the only top-level shortstop left on the free-agent market. The top three shortstops—Turner, Xander Bogaerts, and Carlos Correa— are all now out of the picture.

But that was until just recently when Swanson signed with the Chicago Cubs on a 7-year, $177 million contract.

During the 2022 season, Swanson played every game while recording his highest full-season batting average (.277) and also setting career highs in RBI (96) and stolen bases (18).

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal shares his thought the possibility of Los Angeles landing Swanson. This was before he signed with the Cubs.

“A path exists for the Dodgers to sign free-agent shortstop Dansby Swanson. Not an obvious path. Not an especially likely path."

"Perhaps the Dodgers will become a serious suitor for Swanson if the Cubs, Red Sox and Twins won’t pay him what he wants, and if he prefers to join a team more likely to be competitive. But in that scenario, Swanson might prefer to return to his previous club, the Braves.”

Another factor to keep in mind is the fact that Swanson declined a qualifying offer. With that said, if the Dodgers had picked Swanson up, they would have lost their second- and fifth-highest selections in the 2023 MLB Draft, on top of losing $1 million from their international bonus pool for the upcoming signing period.

But in the end, the Dodgers lost out on another shortstop leaving the reality of Lux or Taylor filling in the role more and more likely. Or they could possibly trade for one.