How will the Atlanta Braves fill the void of their starting shortstop?
On the 19th (Korean time), MLB.com, the official homepage of Major League Baseball, said, “As Dansby Swanson leaves for the Chicago Cubs, Atlanta needs a shortstop,” and that Atlanta needs resources to replace Swanson.
First of all, it is possible to fill the shortstop void by utilizing internal resources or through a trade. Atlanta has a young shortstop in Vaughan Grissom. He joined Atlanta with the 337 overall pick in the 11th round in the 2019 draft, and debuted in the big leagues in 2022. He showed potential for growth by posting 41 hits in 141 at-bats, 5 home runs, 18 RBIs, a batting average of 0.291 and a slugging percentage of 0.440 in 41 games. 메이저놀이터
If you are looking for it in the free agent market, there is Elvis Andrews. In this Stove League, he received less attention than Swanson, Zander Bogatz, Carlos Corea, and Trey Turner, but it is evaluated as a real free agent.
Andrews joined Atlanta in 2005 as an international free agent. He shared his minor league life with Freddie Freeman, currently a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the two were considered the best prospects on the team. But Andrews had to leave Atlanta and hit the big leagues in 2009 with the Texas Rangers. He spent 12 years with Texas and until last year played for the Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox. Andrews, whose strength lies in defense rather than offense. He posted a career big league career 96 home runs batting average of 0.271, on-base percentage of 0.371 and OPS of 0.773.v
However, it is true that it is not enough to fill Swanson’s void. Swanson has been named in the starting lineup for the opening game for six consecutive years since the 2016 season. In other words, he was the undisputed starting shortstop. He also appeared in 162 games this season, recording 177 hits, 25 homers, 96 RBIs, a batting average of 0.277, a slugging percentage of 0.447, and an OPS of 0.776. He left the best achievements, such as winning the National League Gold Glove.
Atlanta, which lacked alternative resources, also tried to retain Swanson. During this year’s All-Star break, he was offered a six-year, $100 million contract extension, but Swanson rejected it. Ultimately, Atlanta had to watch Swanson sign a seven-year, $177 million deal with the Chicago Cubs in free agency. I wonder how Atlanta will fill Swanson’s void.