3 burning questions for the Atlanta Braves to answer in the offseason

Burning questions for Braves offseason: 1. Will the Braves keep Dansby Swanson?

Of all of the burning questions surrounding Atlanta this offseason, who will play shortstop for the Braves in 2022 is the biggest of all.

Will the Braves open up the coffers and keep Swanson? The 28-year-old earned his first All-Star bid last season and slashed .277/.329/.447 with 25 home runs and 96 RBI. The former top overall pick has been a face of the Braves since his debut on August 17, 2016, but there is no guarantee that Swanson will be back as he will be one of the most sought-after members of what could be a stellar free agent class at shortstop.

If Swanson moves on, will Atlanta bring in one of those other big-name free agent shortstops? Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa and Trea Turner are among the possibilities, and any would be a more-than-suitable replacement for Swanson. Again, the question here is if the Braves will pay for an established superstar to play shortstop?

Atlanta’s other option if Swanson doesn’t return is to move Vaughn Grissom to the position on a full-time basis. The 21-year-old Grissom proved valuable last season when Ozzie Albies went down with an injury and production was needed at second base. With Albies back from injury to start 2023, moving Grissom to shortstop (where he saw just 10.0 innings of action last season with Swanson dominating the position) is a possibility.

The Braves have already said they’re not afraid to add to the payroll, and six years and $140 million is a baseline that could (in theory) get a deal done with Swanson. Will the reunion happen or will a new shortstop settle in at Truist Park next season? Atlanta fans are anxious to find out that answer.