Dansby Swanson, the player with the longest tenure with the Atlanta Braves and the captain of the team in all but name, became a free agent on Sunday morning, and it won't be simple to find someone to take his place.
Because the Atlanta Braves moved Dansby Swanson to the major leagues too soon, he had difficulty performing at the plate. Despite this, he was consistently trustworthy on defense and showed year-over-year improvement on both sides of the ball.
The challenge for the Braves will be to find a suitable replacement for the baseball player who was the league's finest defensive shortstop and a leader for the team both on and off the field.
The position calls for an experienced candidate who can, at the very least, come close to matching Swanson's output and defense. Three free agents meet these criteria: Xander Bogaerts, Trea Turner, and Carlos Correa.
However, each of them will cost more and come with their own set of problems.
Is Dansby Swanson Leaving The Braves?
For the very first time in his professional career, Dansby Swanson is a free agent.
The Braves have shown that they are skilled at locking up their core players to long-term deals well in advance of when they would have been eligible for free agency. They were able to accomplish it with the help of Ronald Acqua Jr., Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II, and Spencer Strider.
However, Atlanta has been unable to reach an agreement with Swanson over a new contract up to this time, and the shortstop is now a free agent.
Jon Heyman, an insider for MLB Network, heard that the Braves' opening offer for Swanson for the 2022 season was somewhere in the area of $100 million. The Braves did try to sign Swanson.
It's possible that Swanson would choose to stay with the Atlanta Falcons given that he was born and raised in Georgia, but his market is expected to be quite strong.
Swanson might be a popular target despite the fact that there will be no lack of quality shortstops available in free agency. His asking price is anticipated to be lower than that of Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, and Xander Bogaerts. This could make him an attractive option for teams.
The Braves Have No Justification To Underpay Dansby Swanson for What He Is Worth
It should not be misunderstood that the Braves' ability to spend is not directly proportional to the amount of money that Liberty Media made from baseball in 2022.
On the other hand, this is a team that has frequently played within its financial means, and it is abundantly clear that the ownership group has been doing well and is in a position to spend money, which is particularly important for a team that is positioned to compete for the World Series for many years to come.
Due to the fact that Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, and Xander Bogaerts are all expecting significant compensation, it is not anticipated that Swanson will be the most expensive free-agent shortstop on the market.
Even so, the seasoned player who was once selected first overall is going to cost a lot of money because Atlanta did not come to an agreement on a customary early extension with him.
They have the financial means and the position, as a result of their recent success, to spend it on Swanson and give him what he deserves in order to avoid giving him an unfair deal.
If they are unable to reach an agreement with Swanson during this offseason's free agency, this does not mean that Atlanta is completely out of options. It is possible that they could reshuffle their current roster in order to do something like move youngster Vaughn Grissom to shortstop with Ozzie Albies reassuming his role at second base.
They could also investigate other possibilities in free agency, such as Turner or one of the other marquee players. Simply put, they have the necessary financial resources.
But if things keep going well for the Braves, the fans of the team will definitely want to keep Swanson, who is considered to be one of the team's leaders.
And it's possible that Swanson is looking for something new, so he decides to leave his local team. However, the fact that the organization is unwilling to let the cat out of the bag should not be the reason why he does not return to Atlanta.
