Dansby Swanson is having a miserable season and the Cubs are stuck with him

After being the number one overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, shortstop Dansby Swanson was quickly traded to his hometown Atlanta Braves. Swanson proved his was comfortable in Atlanta by obtaining a Gold Glove Award, an All-Star Game appearance and leading the Braves to a World Series title in 2021.

Once the 2022 season came to an end, Swanson's contract with the Braves expired and he entered the field of free agency. To be closer to family and his wife, superstar soccer player Mallory Pugh, Swanson inked a deal with the Chicago Cubs. The deal was for 7 years and $177 million. Right now, the Cubs are stuck paying that salary without Swanson's expected performance.

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Dansby Swanson's struggles made worse by Cubs predicament

Heading into the 2024 season, Dansby Swanson had a respectable .253 career batting average to go along with a .739 OPS. While Swanson's defensive metrics are down but still respectable, if the season were to end today, the 30 year old shortstop would have a career low in almost all offensive categories.

Going into Wednesday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Swanson is hitting .217 with 9 home runs and 31 runs batted in. The most alarming statistic for Swanson offensively this season is the fact that he has struck out 96 times in just 92 games.

In Swanson's defense, his exit velocity when he does make contact is up and his expected batting average is closer to .250 than his actual .217 clip. However, the actual number is all that matters.

With Swanson's massive salary, moving on from the shortstop does not feel like an option with him being only a year and a half into his seven-year deal. Even manager Craig Counsell can't make sense of Swanson's struggles and hopes to see things turn soon.

"We want answers, obviously." Counsell stated.

"I think Dansby has generally been a player who his hot stretches kind of carry him. We haven't got to those extended moments where he's been kind of in the middle of everything offensively. There has been good days but not good weeks. I think that's what Dansby has kind of normally been known for."

It sounds like the Cubs weren't expecting a whole lot out of Dansby Swanson's bat when they signed him but they were expecting a little bit more than what they've got so far in 2024.