Chicago Cubs Rumors: Ranking the top 10 remaining FA position players

Ranking the remaining top 10 - 2. Dansby Swanson

To the meat and potatoes of Cubs targets. We're all well aware that the Cubs have been trying to land one of the four elite-tier shortstops this winter. I had been saying from the beginning that I wished the Cubs had locked someone like Swanson up earlier in the offseason. Understanding the market, however, obviously, this wasn't the case as players want to get paid as much as possible. As things are, the going rate for a shortstop now is astronomical. After Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts signed nearly record-setting deals, the Cubs' willingness to still swim in the deep end remains to be seen.

We know the Cubs still want one of the shortstops. We also understand that Dansby Swanson is now the most realistic option unless they want to go obscenely high to acquire Correa. You can't help but imagine what Swanson may be looking to sign for now that the market has been set for him. Swanson is a fantastic upgrade to the Cubs' roster as it sits, potentially giving them the best up-the-middle defense in the National League between him and Hoerner. Offensively, he had a career year but is just a .249.319/.409 career hitter. The Cubs will have to understand that this is the market now and will not change for the better. Spending intelligently here may be the downfall of the Cubs in 2023. This is where you have to bite the bullet if you want to compete. But will the Cubs go up to 8-9 years at 200+MM?