The real reason Dansby Swanson is still left unsigned in free agency

With several teams interested in Braves free agent shortstop Dansby Swanson, there’s a good reason why he remains unsigned to an MLB team thus far. 

Aside from being iced out due to the MLB lockout last December, the twelfth month of the calendar year is often a time when the hot stove…heats up.

For those who aren’t signed with a team by the MLB winter meetings, different fan bases will stake a claim on top free agents based on the latest reports. One of the biggest question marks remains the future franchise for Dansby Swanson, the lauded Atlanta Braves shortstop who’s been pitched everywhere from Atlanta to Chicago.

So far, Swanson has yet to make a decision, but there’s good reason for that: he just so happens to be getting married to soccer superstar Mallory Pugh in the mild of the winter meeting spending spree.

Dansby Swanson spends December celebrating wedding with Mallory Pugh

According to People’s Emily Strohm, Dansby Swanson and Mallory Pugh wed locally at the Ritz Carlton Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Georgia.

The fact that their dream venue was in Georgia could be a positive sign for Swanson’s future with the Braves, or it could be a result of Swanson’s six seasons with the team. In any case, it’s likely that Swanson and Pugh will be more focused on their honeymoon than on making a career-altering decision anytime soon.

As of now, Pugh will remain with the Chicago Red Stars through 2023, which has fueled speculation that Swanson could sign with a Chicago Cubs roster in need of a shortstop.

The fact that the two superstar athletes chose a December wedding speaks to the meticulous planning around both of their illustrious careers. Both players begin gearing up for the season by spring, and both the Red Stars and the Braves saw playoff berths through October. The hopes of back-to-back World Series were dashed by Oct. 15, while the Red Stars exited the NWSL playoffs on Oct. 17.

Swanson and Pugh have the winter to enjoy their new life together and plan for the future, and considering the leverage free agents seem to have this season, Swanson’s waiting could mean teams without a shortstop could offer him big money come January.

Considering that Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts are spoken for, the scrambling to secure Swanson is only expected to add to the multi-billion offseason spree.