Reports: Dansby Swanson agrees to terms with Cubs
Dec. 17—Dansby Swanson, the last of the big four free agent shortstops to reach terms this offseason, appears to be leaving his hometown team for the Windy City.
According to multiple reports, the Kennesaw native and Marietta High School graduate has agreed to a $177 million, seven-year deal with the Chicago Cubs — netting him an average of $25.3 million per year.
After six-plus seasons with the Atlanta Braves, Swanson is reaping the benefits of a breakout season and a fruitful market for free agent shortstops. Before Swanson, Trea Turner (Phillies), Xander Bogaerts (Padres) and Carlos Correa (Giants) had previously agreed to contracts of more than 10 years, with total values well beyond $200 million apiece.
The 28-year-old Swanson is coming off a season in which he batted .277 with 32 doubles, 25 home runs and 96 RBIs, playing all 162 games. He also was a first-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner at shortstop.
Through his Braves tenure, Swanson had a career .255 average with 102 homers and 411 RBIs. He was an anchor of Atlanta's 2021 World Series championship team, fielding the clinching out and relaying it to Freddie Freeman, another Braves star who left via free agency before the 2022 season.
A two-sport star in baseball and basketball at Marietta, Swanson had a standout college career at Vanderbilt, which he helped lead to the College World Series title in 2014, then was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He came to the Braves in a trade six months later and made his major league debut Aug. 17, 2016.
After cutting ties with many of the star players from their 2016 World Series-winning team, the Cubs have been working to bring some star power back to Chicago with the additions of Swanson and former National League MVP outfielder Cody Bellinger from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Swanson's deal is set to be the second-richest free agent pact given out by Chicago, second only to a $184 million, eight-year deal given to Jason Heyward — another former homegrown star of the Braves — prior to the 2016 season.
Swanson will be joined in Chicago by his new wife, Mallory Pugh, a member of the U.S. women's national soccer team and a forward with the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women's Soccer League. Swanson and Pugh were married Dec. 10 on the banks of Lake Oconee in Greensboro.
With Swanson's departure, the Braves will have to look elsewhere to fill the shortstop position, either with a free agent, a trade or remaining in-house. Options already with the team include Orlando Arcia and Vaughn Grissom. Among those available via free agency is 14-year major league veteran Elvis Andrus, a former Braves farmhand.
By losing Swanson after he was offered and declined a qualifying offer from the team, the Braves will get a compensatory pick in the 2023 draft.
