Dansby Swanson and the Chicago Cubs agreed to a 7-year, $177 million contract on Saturday. The star shortstop was linked to the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Boston Red Sox prior to landing in Chicago. The Cubs now have a true face of the franchise player set to lead them for the next 7 seasons. However, did the Cubs make the right decision by bringing in Swanson?
Dansby Swanson
Dansby Swanson was an intriguing prospect coming out of college. Many people around the baseball world felt that he featured superstar potential. Swanson quickly made his way through the minor leagues and debuted for the Braves in 2016. He began his career by hitting over .300 in a 38-game stint for Atlanta during the 2016 campaign. But he took a step back in his first full season the following year.
Dansby Swanson went on to post batting averages between .230-.240 in 2017 and 2018. His OPS was narrowly above .300 during that time span as well. Although his defense was solid, it was difficult to overlook his offensive struggles. The word “bust” began to become associated with Swanson's name.
However, he began to show signs of life over the next few years. And his breakout campaign came in 2021, when he hit 27 home runs. He followed that up by clubbing 25 homers to go along with a .776 OPS in 2022.
Swanson is not a perfect player. He doesn't feature elite speed like Trea Turner or incredible bat-to-ball skills like Xander Bogaerts. And he isn't the same kind of superstar that Carlos Correa is. He also needs to develop better plate discipline and draw more walks. With that being said, Dansby Swanson has emerged as one of the steadiest shortstops in baseball.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs snapped their 100-plus year World Series drought by winning the Fall Classic in 2016. They were competitive for a few years after winning the World Series, but are currently in rebuild mode.
The Cubs have lost superstars such as Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Javier Baez over the past few years. The most recent star to leave Chicago was catcher Willson Contreras, who signed in St. Louis with the Cardinals this offseason.
Nevertheless, they feature some young and intriguing prospects in their organization. They also recently brought in former MVP Cody Bellinger to man centerfield. Bellinger and Dansby Swanson will make for an intriguing duo in 2023. 2022 All-Star Ian Happ also remains with the organization.
Is Chicago ready to compete for a World Series? No. But the future is increasingly growing brighter.
The Cubs were linked to all 4 star shortstop free agents this offseason. And it would have been a major disappointment if they did not land any of them. So coming to terms on a contract with Dansby Swanson will energize the fan base.
Cubs' Dansby Swanson contract grade
Dansby Swanson may not offer the same upside as Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, or Xander Bogaerts. But at just 28-years old, he's a player they can build around moving forward. And he should be able to remain productive for the next 7 seasons. Other players received longer contracts which bring no shortage of risk.
In the end, Chicago got their guy and Dansby Swanson will receive the opportunity to be the face of the team. This deal should pan out well for all parties involved.
Final grade: A-
*Statistics provided via Baseball Reference.
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