Cubs Join the Party – Sign Dansby Swanson
There had been rumblings heading into this offseason that the Cubs were willing to spend significant money in free agency to improve their ballclub with the intention to compete in 2023. While most organizations say those types of things publicly to appease their fanbase, the tone coming from the Cubs felt different.
They first signed Cody Bellinger to a one-year, $12.5 million contract to give their lineup a potentially intriguing boost. They bolstered their rotation by signing Jameson Taillon to a four-year, $68 million contract. They added to their bullpen by signing Brad Boxberger to a one-year, $2.8 million deal.
They weren’t finished yet though. Their name kept coming up with each of the big name shortstops in this impressive free agent class, but they never quite seemed like actual players for most of them. That wasn’t the case for the final name on that list.
There continued to be buzz surrounding the Cubs and Dansby Swanson until ultimately on Saturday the two sides reached an agreement on a seven-year, $177 million contract. The deal also includes a full no-trade clause per Russell Dorsey of Bally Sports.
The 28-year-old shortstop – and the top overall selection from the 2015 draft – had an outstanding all-around season in 2022. Swanson slashed a healthy .277/.329/.447 with 25 home runs, 99 runs scored, 96 RBI and 18 stolen bases in a mammoth 696 plate appearances while playing in all 162 games for the Braves.
He was also named to his first National League All-Star squad and took home his first Gold Glove award. Swanson is considered one of the premiere defensive shortstops in all of baseball – just like teammate Nico Hoerner who will shift over to second base to form the best middle infield defensive tandem in baseball.
In terms of fantasy value, the move from the Braves to the Cubs shouldn’t change Swanson’s outlook all that much. The overall surrounding cast is a small step down, which might ding his counting stats a bit, but he’ll surely hit in a premium spot in the order once again. There’s also a chance for Swanson to show growth in the stolen base department with a more aggressive manager at the helm, as he ranks in the 79th percentile in terms of sprint speed.
Swanson’s average draft position in early NFBC Draft Champions drafts has sat right at pick 75 overall, which feels right given his overall skill set and upside. I wouldn’t expect that number to change much with the move to the north side of Chicago.
The biggest winner in all of this is likely to be Vaughn Grissom, who should take over as the Braves’ starting shortstop and should absolutely thrive there in a full-time capacity.
Dodgers Steal J.D. Martinez
The Dodgers have been surprisingly quiet throughout this off-season. They haven’t made any blockbuster signings or trades, they weren’t big movers at the Winter Meetings, and they let superstar shortstop Trea Turner walk out the door as he signed with the Phillies.
Their only substantial move to date – prior to Saturday – was to bring back long-time staff ace Clayton Kershaw on a one-year pact. On Friday, they signed Noah Syndergaard to a team-friendly one-year, $13 million deal to help bolster the starting rotation. On Saturday night though, they proved why their front office is still one of the best in the business.
The Dodgers landed one of the best free agent deals of the entire off-season – what amounts essentially to stealing – as they agreed to a one-year, $10 million pact with free agent slugger J.D. Martinez. Granted, the 35-year-old had a down year in 2022 (by his standards), but when he’s going right he remains one of the most feared right-handed hitters in all of baseball.
MLBTradeRumors had projected that Martinez would land a two-year, $30 million deal – and the consensus around the league was that he would find something similar, or at least $15M or more on a one-year deal.
Instead, Martinez opted to rejoin former teammate Mookie Betts and hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc with the Dodgers. While there didn’t appear to be much interest in Martinez league-wide, the Dodgers reportedly identified him early on as a target and wound up making him a priority. Would it shock anyone if they made a similar move with someone like Jean Segura and ultimately have a terrific off-season without breaking the bank?
As for Martinez, his fantasy value should spike on this news. He goes from an underwhelming lineup overall with the Red Sox to one of the top run-scoring teams in all of baseball. He has always been an elite run producer and should be able to rack up plenty of RBI in his new environment. He’s currently being drafted outside the top-225 players overall. With the news of this signing, I expect that his ultimate draft day cost will land much closer to 150.
Astros Bring Back Brantley
With the free agent market getting thin, many clubs looking for help in the outfield turned their attention to professional hitter Michael Brantley. Despite serious overtures from several clubs, the 35-year-old ultimately decided on Sunday to run it back with the World Champion Astros – agreeing to a one-year, $12 million contract. The deal – which was first reported by Mark Feinsand of MLB.com – also comes with an additional $4 million in performance-based incentives.
Brantley struggled to stay on the field during the 2022 season – and missed their postseason run after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. He wound up playing in just 64 games during the regular season – slashing .288/.370/.416 with five homers and 26 RBI.
The return to Houston should be a positive development for Brantley’s fantasy value as he’ll enjoy a terrific supporting cast and manager Dusty Baker has proven that he loves hitting Brantley in the second spot in that stacked lineup. Expect that he’ll get plenty of days off as maintenance throughout the season, but Brantley remains a viable option in mixed leagues. His current average draft position – well outside the top-400 players overall – is simply too low and will rise now that fantasy managers know where he’ll be playing.
MLB Quick Hits: The Mets officially announced Kodai Senga‘s five-year, $75 million contract – which includes an opt-out after the 2025 season… The White Sox signed Andrew Benintendi to a five-year, $75 million contract … The Twins agreed to a one-year, $11 million pact with free-swinging slugger Joey Gallo … Joon Lee and Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the Red Sox reached an agreement with Justin Turner on a one-year, $14 million contract with an $8 million player option for the 2024 season … Jon Heyman of the New York Post notes that the Dodgers and Padres are battling for free agent right-hander Seth Lugo … Heyman also reported that the Pirates have reached a one-year, $5 million agreement with defense-first catcher Austin Hedges … Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported that the Cubs are closing in on a contract to bring back left-hander Drew Smyly … The Red Sox designated Eric Hosmer for assignment, clearing the path for Triston Casas to become their regular first baseman … Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports that the Cubs are searching the free agent market for a backup catcher and have been linked to Tucker Barnhart, Roberto Pérez and Curt Casali … Right-hander Burch Smith signed on with the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization … The Dodgers inked free agent outfielder Bradley Zimmer to a minor league contract … Reds general manager Nick Krall has been non-committal when discussing the role that Mike Moustakas will have in 2023 … The Astros had expressed interest in Jurickson Profar, though that seems less likely now after they re-signed Michael Brantley on Sunday … The Royals acquired minor league right-hander Jacob Wallace from the Red Sox in exchange for righty Wyatt Mills … The White Sox agreed on a minor league contract to bring back speedster Billy Hamilton … Oneil Cruz suffered a minor ankle injury during the Dominican Winter League, but is expected to be fine after a few days of rest … Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports that the Orioles, Angels and Rangers have all checked in with free agent southpaw Rich Hill … The Yankees signed right-hander Demarcus Evans and outfielder Michael Hermosillo to minor league contracts … The A’s were able to outright Vimael Machin and Ernie Clement to Triple-A Las Vegas … Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic notes that the Mets, Rangers and Astros have all expressed interest in free agent outfielder Michael Conforto … The Blue Jays made Chris Bassitt‘s three-year, $63 million deal official, designating Anthony Kay for assignment in the process ... The Mets signed Abraham Almonte to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league camp … The Braves plucked Hoy Park away from the Red Sox in exchange for cash considerations … The Pirates acquired Connor Joe from the Rockies for minor league right-hander Nick Garcia ... The Marlins signed Garrett Hampson to a minor league contract with an invite to big league camp.
