Dansby Swanson has agreed to a contract with the Chicago Cubs, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.
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 turned down the one-year, $19.65 million qualifying offer, which is the norm for free agents of his caliber. He will be signing a 7-year deal worth $177 million that also includes a full no-trade clause. The Atlanta Braves will receive a compensatory pick in next summer’s MLB Draft. Swanson will turn 29 in February. He is still young enough to be a long-term piece for the Cubs that could help them expedite their rebuild. Swanson is the second-youngest of the four big shortstops that were on the market this off-season (Xander Bogaerts, Trea Turner, and Carlos Correa).
Dansby Swanson’s Career
Swanson was the first player selected in the 2015 MLB Draft, with Alex Bregman selected right after him. Selected out of Vanderbilt, the Arizona Diamondbacks gave Swanson a $6.5 million signing bonus. In three seasons at Vanderbilt, Swanson hit .330/.418/.541/.959 with 18 home runs and 99 RBI in 696 plate appearances. He began his professional career playing shortstop for Arizona’s Short-Season Class-A Hillsboro team. But, he only played 22 games in the Diamondbacks organization as Swanson, Aaron Blair, and Ender Inciarte were sent to the Braves for Shelby Miller and Gabe Speier. The trade became one of the most lopsided moves in recent memory.
Since arriving in Atlanta, Swanson lived up to his expectations to become an everyday Major Leaguer. The former first-overall pick has always been a strong defensive shortstop, as he was the game’s top defensive infielder in 2022. Swanson’s performance earned him his first career Gold Glove Award after making his first All-Star appearance. Swanson led all NL players with 21.4 Defensive Runs Above Average (Def). His 21 outs above average (OAA) ranked second among qualified players. Swanson also has a good offensive bat, hitting 25 home runs with a .277/.329/.447 slash line while playing in every one of Atlanta’s games.
Like Swanson, Bogaerts and Turner both come with the extra draft compensation. As for Correa, he was ineligible for a qualifying offer after receiving one last winter.
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Players mentioned:
Dansby Swanson, Xander Bogaerts, Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman, Aaron Blair, Ender Inciarte, Shelby Miller, Gabe Speier
