Dansby Swanson Contract Could Become Nightmare for Chicago Cubs

Is Dansby Swanson's contract going to be a problem for the Chicago Cubs?

Sep 25, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs infielder Dansby Swanson (7) runs to first after hitting an RBI double against the Philadelphia Phillies in the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

It was a disappointing 2024 campaign for the Chicago Cubs, as they fell short of making the postseason once again. 

Unfortunately for the Cubs, it feels like they are quite a bit behind the Milwaukee Brewers within their own division, and the National League as a whole is very good. 

This season, Chicago had expectations of making the playoffs after missing it by just one game in 2023. However, due to a lot of inconsistency on the field, the Cubs were never really playoff contenders toward the end of the season. 

One of their big offseason moves a couple of years ago was to bring in shortstop Dansby Swanson from the Atlanta Braves. Swanson is highly regarded as one of the best shortstops in the league, but he hasn’t quite lived up to it with the Cubs so far in two seasons. 

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently spoke about contracts that could be nightmares for teams in 2026, and for Chicago, Swanson’s big deal made the list. 

“Dansby Swanson is neither the only player nor the worst player the Cubs have signed through 2026. Yet he is the only one the Cubs control for '26 and beyond, so it's not ideal that his star power just took a step toward being kaput. Specific red flags include an inflating ground-ball rate and less carry on his fly balls. As power is his defining offensive tool, these are bad signs. Per his 60 Outs Above Average, Swanson has been MLB's best defender over the last three years. But even if he still has that going for him in 2026, it will only count for so much if his bat is still in decline.”

Considering Swanson hasn’t exactly performed all that well in the first two years of his contract from an offensive standpoint, it is certainly a bit concerning about what the next few years could look like. 

In 2024, the slugger totaled just 16 home runs in 149 games, as that was a significant drop in power numbers. 

Since the Cubs are paying him to be a 25+ home run player, a drop in his power numbers is very concerning considering he’s got a lot of time left on his deal. In 2026, Swanson will be in just four years of his seven-year, $177 million deal. 

As it currently stands, the contract doesn’t look like a great one, and it’s unlikely to improve as the shortstop gets older in a couple of years.