Mark Feinsand of MLB Network did his scouting report on Dansby Swanson today. You should check out his article for the whole breakdown, but I wanted to dive into his dark horse candidates and contract prediction for Swanson:
Dansby Swanson is part of this year’s star-studded free-agent shortstop class. Where might he wind up? https://t.co/AthcKecB19
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) November 22, 2022
There are a few surprising names on this list, most notably the Marlins:
Marlins
Miami received below-average production from its shortstops in 2022, with Miguel Rojas (.605 OPS) getting the vast majority of the playing time. Rojas has one year and $5 million left on his contract, but Swanson would represent a sizable upgrade as the Marlins look to compete in a deep National League East.
Feinsand also lists the Dodgers, Phillies, Giants, and Phillies as big spenders that could look to pry Swanson away from Atlanta. Of course, the Braves are on this list, and here’s Feinsand’s take:
Braves
With Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley all locked up on multi-year deals, Swanson is the only missing piece to keeping Atlanta’s infield together into the second half of the decade. Swanson clearly likes hitting at Truist Park — he slashed .304/.362/.492 at home compared to .251/.298/.405 on the road this past season — and the Braves’ core should keep the club in contention on an annual basis. Will Atlanta use some of the money it saved on its team-friendly deals to bring Swanson back?
Feinsand issues a few warnings about paying Swanson a lot — but they are the typical critiques Braves fans should be accustomed to. Here’s the final contract prediction:
Swanson’s three-year output heading into free agency is similar to Marcus Semien, who landed a seven-year, $175 million deal from the Rangers last winter. Semien had 85 homers and 217 RBIs in 377 games from 2019-21; Swanson has 62 homers and 219 RBIs in 382 games over the past three seasons.
Swanson is heading into his age-29 season, while Semien was entering his age-31 campaign, giving Swanson a strong case for a deal of at least seven years.
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Photo: Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire
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