Atlanta Braves are shaking their heads this Holiday season after the news that broke over the weekend.
This was an offseason the Cubs could not let go to waste — not with the quality of star shortstops available on the free-agent market. After a round of monetary musical chairs, the North Siders reeled in one of the game’s elite infielders in Dansby Swanson.
On Saturday, multiple sources told MLB.com that the Cubs had reached an agreement with Swanson on a seven-year, $177 million contract that includes a full no-trade clause. The deal, which is pending physical, has not been officially confirmed by the Cubs.
Once the ink dries, Swanson’s deal will mark the second-largest in terms of total value in Cubs history, trailing only the $184 million Jason Heyward made over an eight-year contract. Swanson, Heyward and Alfonso Soriano (eight-year, $136 million) have the only deals in team history lasting seven or more years.
Swanson represented the last of the four big-ticket shortstops who hit free agency this offseason, along with Carlos Correa, Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts. At various points this offseason, the Cubs were linked to all four players, but the marketplace erupted in extremely long, rich deals that forced Chicago to pivot to what became the most realistic option.
Turner was off the board first with an 11-year, $300 million contract with the reigning National League-champion Phillies. The Padres then pulled off a surprising deal with Bogaerts, nabbing him with an 11-year, $280 million deal. Next up were the Giants, who missed on Aaron Judge, but shifted to Correa with a mammoth 13-year, $350 million agreement.
Swanson was off on his honeymoon with Mallory Pugh — who plays for the Chicago Red Stars professional soccer club — when Correa’s deal came to fruition earlier this week. It put Swanson in a great position to choose his destination, given his multiple suitors in the Cubs, Red Sox, Twins, Dodgers and others.
Swanson opted for a Cubs team that is attempting to pull out of a two-year rebuild and has an improving farm system that should start feeding the MLB roster soon enough. His deal also follows Chicago’s recent signings of center fielder Cody Bellinger, pitcher Jameson Taillon (still not official) and reliever Brad Boxberger.
With the arrival of Swanson, Cubs shortstop Nico Hoerner will be pushed to second base, where he was a Gold Glove finalist in 2020. Last year, Hoerner established himself as an elite defensive shortstop, ending with 13 outs above average, per Statcast. Only Swanson (21) had more en route to the National League’s Gold Glove Award at short.
Stay tuned to TheseUrbanTimes.com for all your MLB news. Follow @eldorado2452 and @theseurbantimes on twitter and instagram for all your MLB updates.
