3 reasons Braves won’t have a repeat of Freddie Freeman with Dansby Swanson
By John Buhler
2. Atlanta has more financial capital available to pay Swanson a slight premium
With The Battery being an undeniable financial success, the Braves have become a cash cow once again. They have not raked in this type of revenue since media mogul Ted Turner owned the team decades ago. Thus, Atlanta will continue to roll out a top-10 payroll, possibly enter the top five when all is said in done. In short, Atlanta is in too good of a spot to nickel and dime Swanson here.
The other big factor is he would be more willing to take a hometown discount, unlike Freeman. Otherwise, the Braves would have to spend well more than they would want to pursue the likes of Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa and Trea Turner in their free agencies. All three players would likely command more than Swanson could on the open market. Plus, are they perfect fits on this roster?
Ultimately, it serves the Braves to pay slightly above market value to keep Swanson in Atlanta. Could he make more somewhere else? Potentially, but the long-term benefits of staying with his hometown team are too good to pass up, all things equal. With Atlanta not having a ready-made shortstop in the minor leagues, why would the Braves want to get cute and let Swanson walk?
As long as the Braves continue to play winning baseball and pack The Battery, they will spend big.