Braves Rumors: Dansby Swanson mistake, Jared Shuster here to stay, trade talk
By Mark Powell
Braves Rumors: Was letting Dansby Swanson go a mistake?
Yes, Atlanta is struggling at shortstop, but does that make letting Dansby Swanson walk a mistake?
That might be a bit of an overreaction, especially given the money Alex Anthopoulos was able to save the franchise, and where it’s invested now. Swanson signed a seven-year, $177 million deal with the Chicago Cubs this offseason. Afterward, the Braves traded for Sean Murphy, extended him, and then signed Spencer Strider to a new deal.
Strider looks to be the future ace of the pitching staff. He’s been a steady presence even with Max Fried and Kyle Wright injured. Murphy is playing at an All-Star level, which allowed Atlanta the chance to move Travis d’Arnaud to designated hitter, where’ he’s been stable as well. d’Arnaud remains a capable defensive catcher, too, giving the Braves two of the better all-around backstops in the National League.
Still, Call to the Pen isn’t totally sold that letting Swanson walk was a necessary evil:
"“Losing Freddie Freeman and Swanson in back-to-back offseasons is a tough pill to swallow for Atlanta fans despite their recent title. Atlanta’s front office is sharply run and clearly has hit on far more deals than they have missed, but it is okay to point out when they were clearly wrong and that is the case with the Cubs shortstop. Swanson is the missing piece for this Atlanta team that when fully healthy would feel as if they could make a World Series run yet again. Instead, this feels like a good team that is a move or two away from being a World Series roster.”"
It’s far too soon to panic just because the Braves are in a bit of a skid. History will tell a different story as to whether letting Swanson walk was a mistake, or not. For now, we’ll just have to wait.