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Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Free agent shortstop Dansby Swanson is finalizing a deal with the Chicago Cubs, according to David Kaplan. ESPN’s Jeff Passan confirmed the report.

Bally Sports‘ Russell Dorsey says the deal is for seven years and $177 million.

The 28-year-old Swanson spent the first six-plus years of his career with the Atlanta Braves, winning a World Series in 2021. Though his bat has been inconsistent over his career, he’s developed into one of the best defensive shortstops in the league. Despite the inconsistency on offense, he had the best year of his career at the plate by OPS+ (115) in his walk year. He hit 25 home runs, batted in 96 runs and had a .776 OPS to go along with his stellar defense.

The shortstop is the latest team favorite to leave the Braves in free agency. Freddie Freeman signed with the Dodgers last offseason after spending his first 12 seasons with Atlanta. However, the Braves still have half-a-dozen team-friendly contracts with players like Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Harris II, Austin Riley and Spencer Strider.

Swanson is the final domino to fall in the free-agent shortstop frenzy of the last couple of years. Some mega deals of the last two offseasons include:

• Trea Turner: 11 years, $300 million with the Phillies
• Carlos Correa: 13 years, $350 million with the Giants
• Xander Bogaerts: 11 years, $280 million with the Padres
• Corey Seager: 10 years, $325 million with the Rangers
• Javier Báez: six years, $140 million with the Tigers
• Trevor Story: six years, $140 million with the Red Sox

Francisco Lindor also signed a 10-year, $341 million contract with the Mets a year before his free agency. Fernando Tatis Jr. (14/$340 million) and Wander Franco (11/$182 million) signed massive contracts early in their career, too.

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Oct 2, 2022; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) hits a home run against the New York Mets in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Larry Robinson-USA TODAY Sports

Most of the big names are now off the board as Hot Stove season slows down somewhat, but there’s still one significant free agent available. Allow MMO to get you caught up on the latest rumors involving the New York Mets and from around MLB.

Swanson In A Good Spot

Dansby Swanson is the last big, big name available on the open market and he has plenty of suitors interested in him with a plethora of teams looking to upgrade at shortstop. Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Cubs, Dodgers, Twins, Red Sox and the Braves are all interested and it is possible Swanson could get a deal worth over $200 million. It is worth noting also that, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic, the Twins are very interested in Swanson after losing out on Carlos Correa, who signed a 13-year, $350 million contract with the Giants. However, Hayes notes that the Twins would be likely outbid by the likes of the Cubs and the Braves.

Swanson is a career .255/.321/.417/.738 hitter and, having slashed .277/.329/.447/.776 with 25 home runs and 96 RBI in 2022, he’s projected to earn himself a very nice payday no matter where he eventually ends up landing this winter.

Twins To Be Busy

Let’s stick with the Twins. Having lost out on Correa, the front office are now attempting to figure out what their lineup will look like heading into the 2023 season and beyond. As mentioned above, they are in on Swanson but they are also showing interest in a few more modest free agents. Former Met Justin Turner is believed to be on the radar, per Dan Hayes, while Jon Heyman notes that right fielder Max Kepler is drawing a lot of trade interest after the Twins signed Joey Gallo to a one-year, $11 million deal. It could be a busy few weeks for Minnesota who still have a lot of work to do.

Mets Shopping McCann, Carrasco

It has been a very busy offseason for the Mets and it doesn’t seem that they are done yet. While reports have suggested they are still looking to add a power bat, multiple reports have indicated that the front office are actively shopping catcher James McCann and starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco. Our very own Michael Mayer has reported that the Mets are now aggressively shopping McCann after signing Omar Narváez on Thursday night.

Joel Sherman of The Post has reported that the Mets are listening to offers on Carrasco, with the RHP perhaps expendable following the additions of Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga and José Quintana. Carrasco went 15-7 with a 3.97 ERA, 3.53 FIP, and 152 strikeouts in 152 innings over 29 starts for the Mets in 2022. Carrasco has one season at $14 million left on his contract.

McCann, meanwhile, has largely struggled in Queens and the veteran has hit just .220/.282/.328 with a combined 13 home runs and 64 RBI in 182 games. He is owed $12.15 million in each of the next two seasons and the Mets may have to eat some salary in order to move the veteran catcher.

O’s After More Pitching

The Baltimore Orioles are looking to add some veteran pitching this offseason. According to Rob Bradford of WEEI, the Orioles are showing interest in veteran pitchers Michael Wacha and Rich Hill. Baltimore is looking to take a leap in 2023 and they want to beef up their rotation with two starters who have been there and done that. Hill posted a 98 ERA+ in 26 starts with the Red Sox in 2022, and he pitched for the Orioles way back in 2009.

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Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

While the MLB Winter Meetings may be in the books, the offseason rolls on and there are still plenty of big names left on the board with a plethora of teams still looking to make a statement and address needs. We at MMO are going to delve right in and round up the latest rumors involving the New York Mets and the rest of MLB for you.

Swanson, Braves Not Talking

Despite the fact that over $2 billion has been spent in baseball this winter, there are still some big names available and star shortstop Dansby Swanson is one of them. Per MLB.com, Swanson and the Atlanta Braves are yet to stage any real negotiations although the team did offer a six-year deal worth roughly $17 million per year at some point this year. With Carlos Correa the only other elite shortstop left on the market, Swanson will get paid one way or the other even if that isn’t with the Braves.

Nimmo Had Offer From Giants

San Francisco just can’t beat New York. Per Mike Puma of the New York Post, outfielder Brandon Nimmo had an offer on the table from the Giants prior to signing an eight-year, $162 million contract with the Mets on Thursday. After losing out to the New York Yankees in the Aaron Judge sweepstakes, the Giants pivoted to Nimmo and actually made an offer before owner Steve Cohen and general manager Billy Eppler joined forces to ensure Nimmo returned to Queens. San Francisco will now have to look elsewhere for outfield reinforcements after missing out on two of their top targets.

Mets Still Not Done

Despite blowing past the $300 million mark in payroll this offseason after signing Justin Verlander, José Quintana, David Robertson and re-signing Edwin Díaz and Brandon Nimmo, the Mets are still not done. Multiple reports have suggested the team are still very much in on free agent starter Kodai Senga, while there are still needs to be addressed when it comes to the bullpen and more pop in the lineup. And, per Jon Heyman, veteran starter Nate Eovaldi is yet another name that has been linked with the Mets. Put it this way; don’t be surprised if owner Steve Cohen ends up committing over $400 million in payroll for the 2023 season.

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Lugo Drawing Interest As A Starter

Seth Lugo is attracting plenty of interest in free agency and, per Jon Heyman of The Post, the Dodgers, Padres and Nationals are all willing to give the righty a chance to start in 2023. Lugo pitched to a 2.67 ERA as a starter during his rookie year back in 2016, while he started 17 games for the Mets in 2017. However, injuries resulted in the 33-year-old being relegated to the bullpen and he’s been used largely as a set-up man ever since. That could now change with a number of teams at least open to signing Lugo and then allowing him to start in 2023.

Veterans Getting Plenty Of Looks

Former Met Justin Turner and veteran third baseman Evan Longoria are both not short of suitors this winter, per Jon Heyman of The Post. Turner, who was linked to a return to Queens at one point this offseason, is drawing interest from the likes of the Diamondbacks, the Dodgers and the Marlins. The Diamondbacks are also in on Longoria, as are four other teams with both players still able to offer plenty despite their advanced years.

Rodón May End Up In NYC After All

Prior to signing Verlander to a big-ticket deal, the Mets were also reported to be in on Carlos Rodón but they ultimately decided to sign a three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series champion in Verlander as a direct replacement for Jacob deGrom. However, according to Heyman of The Post, Rodón may still end up in The Big Apple with the Yankees keen on another star in the rotation and a lefty at that. Rodón is the best starter left on the market and he would tick a lot of boxes for the Yankees. The only issue seems to be the length of the contract with the Yankees not wanting to go above five years for a 30-year-old. Watch this space.

Kepler Being Shopped

The Minnesota Twins are exploring options to trade outfielder Max Kepler, per Aaron Gleeman and Dan Hayes of The Athletic. With the outfield market now razor thin with Judge and Nimmo both opting to return to their respective teams, Kepler could be an intriguing option for teams who are looking for help in the outfield. Kepler has spent his entire career with the Twins and is a career 232/.317/.427/.744 hitter with 129 home runs and 400 RBI.

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Dansby Swanson

Profile: Shortstop

Bats/Throws: R/R

Age: 28 (2/11/1994)

2022 Traditional Stats: 162 G, 696 PA, .277/.329/.447/.776, 25 HR, 96 RBI, 177 H

2022 Advanced Stats: 115 OPS+, 5.7 bWAR, 7.0 BB%, 26.2 SO%, 46.4 HardH%, .348 BABIP, .170 ISO

Rundown

Dansby Swanson started his MLB career among the likes of Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones, and Álex Rodríguez. Drafted first overall in 2015, the Arizona Diamondbacks selected Swanson over MLB All-Stars Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, Andrew Benintendi, Ian Happ, Walker Buehler, Mike Soroka, and Austin Riley.

Swanson spent only one minor league season with the Diamondbacks before being traded in a package to the Atlanta Braves for Shelby Miller. Returning home to Georgia, Swanson rose through the minor league systems fast and made his major league debut on August 16, 2016. In a small sample size, Swanson was stellar in 38 games as he hit .302 with an OPS+ of 115.

Swanson, however, was not able to replicate his rookie season and struggled for three consecutive years due to poor performance and injury. From 2017 to 2019, he averaged an OPS under .700 and OPS+ under 90. Defensively, Swanson struggled as well as he led all National League shortstops with 20 errors in 2017. Two major injuries, one to his wrist in 2018, and one to his heel in 2019, prevented Swanson from breaking out offensively and hampered his power numbers.

Putting his injuries behind him, Swanson finally played up to his potential over his last three seasons in Atlanta. His power numbers came to fruition and from 2020 to 2022, Swanson finished in the top six in home runs hit by shortstops over this time period. For the first time since his rookie year, he also recorded an OPS+ above 100 in 2020 and 2022. Swanson’s defense drastically improved as well. From 2020 to 2022, he finished with a positive outs above average (OAA) and first overall with 21 OAA in 2022. Swanson was also named as a Gold Glove finalist in 2020 and 2022.

While Swanson developed slowly for Atlanta, he eventually became one of the best shortstops in the league and helped the Braves win a championship. He was also able to put his injury woes to bed and from 2020 to 2022, Swanson played in every game, including being the only player in 2022 to play every game.

Contract

Swanson settled for $10 million with the Braves via arbitration for the 2022 season. He has reached his six years of service time and will become a free agent in the 2022 off season.

According to Sportrac.com, Swanson is estimated to receive an annual-average value of $24.8 million and sign a $148.81-million deal over six years.

Even with Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, and Xander Bogaerts bound to hit the free agent market this off-season, Swanson’s contract may just mirror the one rumored by Sportrac.com. He is the best defensive shortstop out of the four and has proven himself to bring almost as much offense. What may be the most important, Swanson is also on the right side of 30 years old and will be in his expected prime for the time being.

Recommendation

Signing Swanson would not make much sense from the Mets’ perspective. They already have their franchise cornerstone in one of the best shortstops, if not the best, in the league with Francisco Lindor. Not to mention, one of the Mets’ top prospects is a shortstop, Ronny Mauricio.

While Swanson is a great player, he is land locked at shortstop and playing at a different position would not make too much sense. The Mets would be better off signing someone like Trea Turner who has experience playing different positions.

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