Longtime Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson has found a new home with the Chicago Cubs, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported Saturday afternoon.
BREAKING: Shortstop Dansby Swanson and the Chicago Cubs are finalizing an agreement on a contract, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 17, 2022
Swanson’s deal is seven years and worth $177 million and includes a full no-trade clause.
Swanson’s deal is a seven-year deal worth $177 million and includes a full no-trade clause, sources tell @BallySports and @Stadium. https://t.co/0YOtXfToDq
— Russell Dorsey (@Russ_Dorsey1) December 17, 2022
What Dansby Swanson leaving means for the Atlanta Braves
As the offseason progressed, it began to look more and more unlikely that Dansby Swanson, a Georgia native, would reunite with the Braves. It was reported that the Braves had turned down a six-year offer from Dansby’s camp and that there hadn’t been “legit negotiations” last week.
The 2015 1st overall pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks had a short stay with the organization, as he quickly became the prized acquisition in the comical Shelby Miller trade that also netted the Braves Ender Inciarte and Aaron Blair in the winter of 2015.
While Swanson’s tenure with the Braves was inconsistent with the bat, his final three seasons provided top-tier defense, with the Vanderbilt alumni taking home the Gold Glove this past season.
2022 was by far his best season, as he combined elite defense with a 116 wRC+, resulting in a team-best 6.4 fWAR.
While replacing 6.4 on the surface for Atlanta seems challenging, the now former Braves’ SS wasn’t expected to repeat his 2022 next year. Steamer has Swanson projected for 3.2 fWAR. This is likely due to the fact that it was his first full season as an above-average hitter in his career.
With Swanson’s departure, shortstop becomes an already bigger question, as there’s no immediately obvious fill. The top-two options within the organization are Orlando Arcia and Vaughn Grissom, but Arcia hasn’t been a full-time SS since before the Braves acquired him in 2021 and Grissom has had questions about his glove. If the Braves were to look outside the organization, free agent Elvis Andrus and Milwaukee Brewers SS, Willy Adames could be potential targets.
Stay tuned for more as the Tomahawk Take team will be breaking down the fallout from the Swanson signing in the coming days.