2 things we know about the Cubs & 1 we need an answer on two months in

A question we have: which Dansby Swanson should we expect?

If you break Dansby Swanson's career cleanly in half, you get two very different stories. In the front half (2016-2019), he was a well below-average offensive player with 'plus' skills with the glove. In over 1700 regular season plate appearances, he slashed .245/.318/.385, good for an 84 OPS+.

But from 2020-2023, he took a major step forward at the plate, with a .259/.325/.441 line, which works out to a 105 OPS+. Paired with two Gold Gloves and a World Series ring, it was a pretty solid four-year run for the former Vanderbilt standout.

Of course, the Cubs signed Swanson on the heels of the 2022 campaign, when he put together a breakout showing at the plate, driving in a career-high 96 runs with a 114 OPS+, earning the first All-Star selection of his career in the process.

But this year, instead of a key offensive cog, Swanson has been a complete liability offensively and has also shown some uncharacteristic defensive lapses, as well. Baseball Savant pegs him at the 51st percentile defensively, compared to last year's 99th percentile ranking. In year two of a seven-year deal, Swanson has to get back on track or it'll be a huge problem for Jed Hoyer and the Cubs.