If Dansby Swanson leaves the Braves, Alex Anthopoulos is to blame

The Atlanta Braves are at serious risk of losing Dansby Swanson, as the two sides haven’t spoken about a new contract in quite some time.

The Braves haven’t been consistent in their messaging as it pertains to Dansby Swanson. As much as some members of the team and front office say they want him back, Alex Anthopoulos and Co. haven’t made many competitive offers since the start of spring training last season.

That signals a shift in thinking — or perhaps a vote of confidence in Swanson’s eventual replacement, Vaughn Grissom.

Swanson is among the best defensive shortstops in baseball, and is coming off the best offensive season of his career. Dansby made the All-Star team last year for the first time.

Anthopoulos knows Swanson’s value has never been higher. It’s a bet the Braves lost when they opted not to get a deal done before the start of this season. Even Swanson himself surely thought a return to the ATL would be ensured by now, as he scheduled his own wedding for this coming weekend.

Why haven’t Braves reached out to Dansby Swanson?

It was Dansby Swanson who initiated recent contact with Atlanta’s front office, rather than the other way around. Mark Bowman revealed this recent bit of information in a column on Friday:

"“Bothered by the absence of communication since the end of the season, Swanson called Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos to get a feel for where things stand. But these two parties haven’t had any legit negotiations since the offseason began.”"

That absence of communication is by choice on the Braves end, as it’s the team which usually initiates said talks, rather than the other way around. Teams like the Cubs and Cardinals previously reached out to Swanson, but he has yet to find a deal to his liking.

Perhaps, this is the wake-up call the Braves front office needed to start treating their own stars like they deserve. Losing Freddie Freeman and Swanson in back-to-back offseasons is a bold strategy for a so-called World Series contender.