Braves chances of keeping Dansby Swanson just went way down

Atlanta Braves fans should be worried after this latest update regarding negotiations with free agent shortstop Dansby Swanson.

The proverbial MLB Hot Stove has simmered a bit with a couple of signings and trades around the league. When it comes to free agency, there are four big-name shortstops that are expected to be paid well, one of them being Dansby Swanson of the Atlanta Braves.

As for the odds of Swanson returning, it’s not looking good, Braves fans.

David O’Brien of The Athletic, h/t MLB.com, provided a less-than-optimistic update on the Braves-Swanson front, saying that he is feeling less confident that the team will actually be able to re-sign him, despite their interest.

"“I went from being probably 70-30, I thought that Dansby would be back even as it dragged on, but then when it reached the Freddie Freeman stage, they let him get to the open market, I became a lot less optimistic,” O’Brien said Wednesday on MLB Network. “I’m probably less than 50-50 now that he’s coming back, because I think if he was they would have done it [already].“I think they’re going to wait to see what the market [is], if he comes back to where they’re comfortable paying him, but I don’t think Dansby’s going to. I think his market’s a lot bigger than Freddie’s was …. He probably priced himself out of Atlanta with the season he had.”"

Braves odds of re-signing Dansby Swanson not looking good

This isn’t what Braves fans wanted to hear, especially after the saga they went through last year with Freddie Freeman. For those who forgot, the Braves and Freeman were unable to reach an agreement, and both sides went their separate ways. Atlanta brought in Matt Olson and signed him to a long-term contract, while Freeman joined the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Swanson does have interest from other teams, and it seems as though the Braves are more than fine to go with either Orlando Arcia or Vaughn Grissom to replace him if need be.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted in one of his recent columns that the Braves offered Swanson a $100 million contract, but the shortstop countered with an offer of his own. It was then that Heyman noted that one person on the Braves side of things expressed pessimism about negotiations.

This season, Swanson recorded a .277 batting average, a .329 on-base percentage, a .447 slugging percentage, 25 home runs, 96 RBI, and 177 hits. Swanson was selected to the All-Star Game, and won his first Gold Glove award.

There’s still plenty of time for things to change. After all, the winter meetings in San Diego take place from Sunday, Dec. 4 until Wednesday, Dec. 7.