The Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs are among the teams showing active interest in free-agent shortstop Dansby Swanson, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. It’s been widely reported this offseason that the Phillies would be active in the free-agent shortstop market, which features Carlos Correa, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, and Swanson.
Jayson Stark of The Athletic reported on Friday that Philadelphia is scheduled to meet with the representatives of Correa, Turner, Bogaerts, and Swanson before the winter meetings begin. The 28-year-old Swanson is coming off an outstanding 2021 season with the Braves that saw him make his first All-Star team. The veteran shortstop slashed .277 (career-high)/.329/.447 with 25 home runs and 96 RBI. Swanson also did a great job on the basepaths, picking up a career-high 18 stolen bases and was only caught stealing six games. Over his seven-year career with the Braves, Swanson hit .255 with 102 home runs and 411 RBI.
Between the four free-agent shortstops, Turner and Correa are the crown jewels of the class. However, Swanson has shown that he can hit for power and stay healthy, only missing two games in the past two games. The former first-round pick has also hit .287 with a .613 slugging percentage against pitches clocked at 97 mph or faster, according to MLB.com.
Spotrac projects Swanson’s calculated market value as a six-year deal worth $148 million ($24.8M per year). If the Phillies cannot get anything done with their presumed No. 1 target in Turner, Swanson is not a bad fallback option to pair with Bryson Stott.
[Photo courtesy of Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports]
