Braves insider reveals what Atlanta needs to keep Dansby Swanson

The Braves will have a lot of free agency competition for Dansby Swanson and one insider has an idea what Atlanta will need to do to keep the shortstop.

There will be no going back to the drawing board for the Atlanta Braves in the 2022 offseason after the 2021 World Series champions failed to get past the rival Phillies in the NLDS. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t big questions and moves to be made in free agency, most notably as it pertains to shortstop Dansby Swanson.

In what is expected to be a lucrative shortstop market in free agency with Swanson hitting the market alongside Trea Turner and Carlos Correa, the 28-year-old is perceived as the slightly cheaper alternative to his peers for any team interested in upgrading at the position. While that may be so, the Braves have been adamant that they don’t want him to leave.

But what will it take for Atlanta, a team that has been exceptionally savvy at paying players early to get in below market value, to pay up and keep one of the team’s leaders in the building one offseason after Freddie Freeman left for the Dodgers? One insider offered a bit of insight into exactly that.

Braves needs to keep Dansby Swanson in free agency revealed by insider

MLB.com and Braves insider Mark Bowman noted in his latest newsletter that the organization would likely have to offer something in the range of a five-year contract worth between $100-110 million.

More importantly, though, Bowman notes that Atlanta and general manager Alex Anthopoulos are going to have to step out of their comfort zone to pony up for Swanson and pay him heftily on a relatively short-term deal. Just as crucial, Bowman also says that the shortstop, who will be 29 years old at the start of next season, could need to take a slight discount to stay with his hometown team, a la Chipper Jones.

It’s going to be a difficult balancing act for the franchise this offseason. They likely need to find another veteran arm for the starting rotation, could look to re-sign Kenley Jansen or sign another high-leverage reliever, may be interested in extending Max Fried, and could use more certainty with their outfield depth.

This is far from doom and gloom in Atlanta, though. After all, the Braves won the 2021 World Series, won the NL East this season, and have a core of Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson, Spencer Strider, Michael Harris II, and Austin Riley all under contract on team-friendly deals for the foreseeable future.

Even still, they want Swanson as part of that future as well. And we’re starting to get a better idea of what will be necessary to make that happen.