3 Cubs players whose no-trade clauses could complicate the offseason

2. Dansby Swanson has a full no-trade clause and is here to stay

Dansby Swanson was a good signing by the Cubs. I'm going to get that out of the way from the jump. From a Cubs perspective, the team got the best deal for a veteran player with playoff experience, leadership qualities and Gold Glove defense. Although the team hasn't performed as expected, the $177 million deal signaled a period of trying to compete for the Cubs.

However, Cubs fans are understandably frustrated with Swanson's performance at the plate this season as he is one of the highest-paid players on the team but his hitting and power numbers are trending down. But the kicker is that Swanson's numbers are not all that different from years past, aside from his home runs.

Like left field, moving onto a different shortstop was never a serious possibility even if Swanson didn't have a no-trade clause. He is too embedded in what the front office is trying to build with this iteration of the franchise and his presence on and off the field attracts other free agents.