Dansby Swanson Has Lived Up To His $177 Million Contract

Four offseasons ago, the Chicago Cubs made one of their biggest moves in team history by signing shortstop Dansby Swanson to a massive seven-year, $177 million deal. 

Swanson was a part of a strong shortstop free agent class that featured names like Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, and Xander Bogaerts. Bogaerts signed with the San Diego Padres for $280 million, and then Turner signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for $300 million. 

Swanson then eventually agreed to a big deal with the Cubs in December of 2022. The $177 million deal was the second-largest contract in team history. Only Jason Heyward (8 years, $184 million) has signed a bigger contract in Chicago’s history. 

But has Swanson lived up to his big contract? 

The answer to that question is yes. 

Swanson has been a consistent force on both offense and defense in each of his three seasons with the Cubs. He has accumulated a 13.6 WAR in those three years and has finished with at least 3.9 WAR in all three campaigns. 

While it can be frustrating to watch Swanson offensively sometimes, he always seems to finish with around the same numbers each season. That consistency in the lineup has been a boost for Chicago. 

Last year, the veteran slashed .244/.300/.417 with 24 home runs, 24 doubles, 77 RBI, and 20 stolen bases across 159 games. Those 24 home runs were his most with the Cubs, and his 20 stolen bases were a career-high. 

In three seasons with the Cubs now, Swanson is averaging 20.7 home runs, 25.3 doubles, 74.2 RBI, and 16 stolen bases per year. Those are solid all-around numbers for a player that the front office is paying over $25 million a season. 

However, the best part of Swanson’s game is actually on the defensive side. 

In his first year with the team, Swanson led all defenders in Outs Above Average (20) and Runs Prevented (15). In 2024, he ranked fourth in Outs Above Average (17) and tied for sixth in Runs Prevented (13) among all position players. 

Although Swanson wasn’t as sharp a defender last season as in years prior, he made big plays in the field when he needed to. He made a heads-up play against the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier in the season, and his defense was unreal in the National League Wild Card Round against the San Diego Padres. 

There aren’t many players who can affect the game both at the plate and in the field. Swanson is one of those players. He will hit around .240 with 20 home runs while playing Gold Glove defense at shortstop. 

For that reason, Swanson has lived up to his $177 million contract.