3 best Braves options at shortstop if Dansby Swanson signs elsewhere

Braves could look in-house with Vaughn Grissom

Atlanta managed to acquire Sean Murphy without trading away Vaughn Grissom, which likely would’ve been a non-starter for them given the uncertainty surrounding Dansby’s free agency. So, Grissom remains, and he’s been working out with Ron Washington all offseason at shortstop to improve defensively.

Initially, Grissom’s workout appeared to be of a precautionary measure, but the more Washington praised the 21-year-old, the more obvious it became that the Braves see him as their shortstop of the future. The question is when he’ll be forced into action.

"“That’s why they’re giving me time with him right now — to get him right,” Washington said at the time, per The Athletic. “Get him thinking right, getting him to understand the nuances of being a shortstop, the things you have to do, the way you have to go about your business. You know, he’s a young kid. A young kid that’s just used to going out there, putting the gloves on and playing. There’s a lot more to playing defense than just putting the glove on and going out there, and if the ball comes to you, you catch it.”"

Grissom is one of the best prospects left in Atlanta’s system. Clearly, they believe in him enough to hand over the keys at a vulnerable position. Could this be a similar case to Houston and Carlos Correa, in which they Jeremy Peña took over just last season?

Only time will tell.