{"id":121912,"date":"2025-11-17T12:12:40","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T12:12:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912"},"modified":"2025-11-17T12:12:40","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T12:12:40","slug":"cubs-fans-are-losing-it-over-dansby-swansons-177m-albatross-elite-glove-or-total-bust-%f0%9f%98%a1%e2%9a%be","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912","title":{"rendered":"Cubs Fans Are LOSING IT Over Dansby Swanson\u2019s $177M Albatross: Elite Glove or Total Bust? \ud83d\ude21\u26be"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/files.fanbeat.win\/art\/4muhloBtwp6i.avif\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\">IMAGE: Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) gestures after hitting a home run against the New York Mets during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field. \/ David Banks \/ Imagn Images<\/div>\n<p>As the Chicago Cubs approach the midpoint of Dansby Swanson\u2019s seven-year deal, it\u2019s time to take a clear-eyed look at what the team has gotten so far from their highest-paid player. Three seasons in, Swanson has delivered elite defense, solid if unspectacular offense, and a steady presence at one of the most demanding positions in baseball. It hasn\u2019t been flashy, but it\u2019s been valuable &#8211; and in today\u2019s game, that matters.<\/p>\n<p>Swanson, now 31, signed on as the cornerstone of the Cubs\u2019 infield in 2023. He came to Chicago with a reputation as a dependable shortstop who could flash the leather and contribute with the bat. And while he hasn\u2019t lit up the offensive leaderboards, he\u2019s held his own &#8211; all while anchoring the defense in a way few shortstops in the league can match.<\/p>\n<h3>Let\u2019s talk numbers<\/h3>\n<p>Through 455 games in a Cubs uniform, Swanson has posted a .243\/.313\/.408 slash line with 62 home runs, 223 RBI, a .721 OPS, and a 102 OPS+. That puts him just above league average offensively &#8211; not elite, but not a liability either.<\/p>\n<p>His power is real, with consistent 20-homer potential, and his production has stayed largely in line with his career averages (.251\/.318\/.414, .732 OPS, 97 OPS+). What you see is what you get &#8211; and what you\u2019re getting is a steady, if sometimes streaky, bat.<\/p>\n<p>But defense? That\u2019s where Swanson shines brightest.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s been nothing short of elite in the field, racking up 31 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), 39 Outs Above Average (OAA), and 31 Fielding Run Value (FRV) over three seasons. That kind of consistency puts him at or near the top of the league among shortstops &#8211; and even among all defenders, regardless of position.<\/p>\n<p>His 39 OAA ranks fourth-best in all of baseball since 2023. Simply put: the man is a vacuum at shortstop.<\/p>\n<h3>Where he stacks up<\/h3>\n<p>Among qualified shortstops over the past three seasons, Swanson ranks:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tied for 7th in home runs<\/li>\n<li>6th in RBI<\/li>\n<li>15th in OBP<\/li>\n<li>13th in slugging<\/li>\n<li>17th in OPS<\/li>\n<li>Tied for 13th in wRC+ (101)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Defensively, it\u2019s a different story:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1st in DRS<\/li>\n<li>2nd in OAA<\/li>\n<li>3rd in FRV<\/li>\n<li>5th-fewest errors (27)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In other words, while the bat has been middle-of-the-pack, the glove has been elite &#8211; and that\u2019s not just a stat-sheet observation. Watch the tape from the Cubs\u2019 Wild Card Series win over the Padres, and you\u2019ll see Swanson\u2019s defense take over the game. He didn\u2019t just contribute &#8211; he changed the outcome.<\/p>\n<h3>The offensive question mark<\/h3>\n<p>The biggest question surrounding Swanson has always been the bat. He\u2019s not Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager, or Bobby Witt Jr. at the plate &#8211; and that\u2019s okay. But when you&#8217;re the highest-paid player on the roster and the seventh-highest-paid shortstop in the game (by AAV), expectations naturally rise.<\/p>\n<p>Swanson\u2019s offensive output has been streaky. Injuries played a role &#8211; late 2023 and early 2024 saw him battling through some physical setbacks.<\/p>\n<p>But even when healthy, his performance with runners in scoring position has been inconsistent. That led to him being moved down in the order during rough patches, particularly in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Still, he\u2019s been dependable in terms of power and has generally stayed true to his career norms. He\u2019s not going to carry the offense, but he doesn\u2019t need to &#8211; especially when his glove is saving runs at the rate it is.<\/p>\n<h3>The bottom line<\/h3>\n<p>Swanson has given the Cubs 12.3 fWAR over three seasons, along with an All-Star appearance in 2023 and back-to-back Gold Gloves in 2023 and 2024. That\u2019s real value, especially at a premium position like shortstop. He may not be a top-five offensive shortstop, but he\u2019s clearly in the top 10 overall when you factor in defense.<\/p>\n<p>Is the contract a bargain? Not quite.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s also not a burden &#8211; at least not yet. Swanson has been a stabilizing force up the middle and a leader in the clubhouse.<\/p>\n<p>That kind of presence matters, especially for a team trying to build a sustainable contender.<\/p>\n<h3>What\u2019s next?<\/h3>\n<p>The big question is how the back half of this deal will play out. Swanson has four years remaining, and as he moves deeper into his 30s, it\u2019s fair to wonder how long he can maintain his elite range and defensive instincts. Shortstop is a physically demanding position, and age doesn\u2019t often do favors there.<\/p>\n<p>But let\u2019s be honest &#8211; this was always part of the risk. The Cubs knew they were paying for prime defense and reliable production now, with the understanding that the later years might look a little rougher. So far, Swanson\u2019s lived up to his end of the deal.<\/p>\n<p>In an era where defense is often undervalued, Swanson has reminded everyone just how important it still is. He may not be the flashiest name on the roster, but he\u2019s been one of the most important. And for now, the Cubs can feel good about that investment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the Chicago Cubs approach the midpoint of Dansby Swanson\u2019s seven-year deal, it\u2019s time to take a clear-eyed look at what the team has gotten so far from their highest-paid&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":121913,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Cubs Fans Are LOSING IT Over Dansby Swanson\u2019s $177M Albatross: Elite Glove or Total Bust? \ud83d\ude21\u26be - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cubs Fans Are LOSING IT Over Dansby Swanson\u2019s $177M Albatross: Elite Glove or Total Bust? \ud83d\ude21\u26be - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As the Chicago Cubs approach the midpoint of Dansby Swanson\u2019s seven-year deal, it\u2019s time to take a clear-eyed look at what the team has gotten so far from their highest-paid...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-17T12:12:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rinrin-2025-11-17T191227.520.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"XuanTan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"XuanTan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912\",\"name\":\"Cubs Fans Are LOSING IT Over Dansby Swanson\u2019s $177M Albatross: Elite Glove or Total Bust? \ud83d\ude21\u26be - NEWS USA\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rinrin-2025-11-17T191227.520.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-17T12:12:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-17T12:12:40+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ac862d5ceb335ec8f1e374ed4bdb0c06\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rinrin-2025-11-17T191227.520.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rinrin-2025-11-17T191227.520.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Cubs Fans Are LOSING IT Over Dansby Swanson\u2019s $177M Albatross: Elite Glove or Total Bust? \ud83d\ude21\u26be\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\",\"name\":\"NEWS USA\",\"description\":\"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ac862d5ceb335ec8f1e374ed4bdb0c06\",\"name\":\"XuanTan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4f0d0d8858cf9c64fc1f3105c62cff269864cf9a26f88149688bdf4dc953df45?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4f0d0d8858cf9c64fc1f3105c62cff269864cf9a26f88149688bdf4dc953df45?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"XuanTan\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=2\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Cubs Fans Are LOSING IT Over Dansby Swanson\u2019s $177M Albatross: Elite Glove or Total Bust? \ud83d\ude21\u26be - NEWS USA","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Cubs Fans Are LOSING IT Over Dansby Swanson\u2019s $177M Albatross: Elite Glove or Total Bust? \ud83d\ude21\u26be - NEWS USA","og_description":"As the Chicago Cubs approach the midpoint of Dansby Swanson\u2019s seven-year deal, it\u2019s time to take a clear-eyed look at what the team has gotten so far from their highest-paid...","og_url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912","og_site_name":"NEWS USA","article_published_time":"2025-11-17T12:12:40+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":1000,"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rinrin-2025-11-17T191227.520.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"XuanTan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"XuanTan","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912","name":"Cubs Fans Are LOSING IT Over Dansby Swanson\u2019s $177M Albatross: Elite Glove or Total Bust? \ud83d\ude21\u26be - NEWS USA","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rinrin-2025-11-17T191227.520.jpg","datePublished":"2025-11-17T12:12:40+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-17T12:12:40+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ac862d5ceb335ec8f1e374ed4bdb0c06"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rinrin-2025-11-17T191227.520.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rinrin-2025-11-17T191227.520.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=121912#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Cubs Fans Are LOSING IT Over Dansby Swanson\u2019s $177M Albatross: Elite Glove or Total Bust? \ud83d\ude21\u26be"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/","name":"NEWS USA","description":"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ac862d5ceb335ec8f1e374ed4bdb0c06","name":"XuanTan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4f0d0d8858cf9c64fc1f3105c62cff269864cf9a26f88149688bdf4dc953df45?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4f0d0d8858cf9c64fc1f3105c62cff269864cf9a26f88149688bdf4dc953df45?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"XuanTan"},"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=2"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=121912"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121912\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":121914,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121912\/revisions\/121914"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/121913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=121912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=121912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=121912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}