Cubs needed more from Dansby Swanson during their September swoon

In my daily perusal of MLB Trade Rumors, Nick Deeds' breakdown of last winter's loaded free agent shortstop class and how each performed this year caught my eye. That's a given, with the Cubs coming out of the fray with longtime Atlanta staple and former #1 overall pick Dansby Swanson locked up on a seven-year, $177 deal.

The reader voting pegged Swanson as having the second-best long-term outlook on the heels of the 2023 season, trailing only Trea Turner, who turned around his brutal first half with a scorching hot second half that helped propel the Philadelphia Phillies to a second-straight NLCS.

The fact Turner and Swanson are still playing here halfway through October undoubtedly carries weight with voters. After all, Xander Bogaerts and the Padres - despite sky-high expectations to open the season - didn't even make the playoffs, Carlos Correa underperformed in a big way for Minnesota, (1.4 bWAR) and Swanson faded down the stretch as the Cubs saw their 90+% playoff odds erased in September.

Dansby Swanson expects more out of himself when the Cubs need a leader

Undoubtedly, had Swanson put the team on his back in the season's final weeks and propeled the Cubs back to the postseason in his first year in Chicago, he may have challenged Turner for top billing on such a list. Instead, he went ice-cold when it mattered most, slashing just .188/.278/.359 as the team went into a tailspin.

"Not performing up to standards when it mattered most is probably what eats away at me the most. Stepping up in big moments when it’s needed, that’s kind of like who I’ve always been. That’s an important part of who I am and it just didn’t happen, which is the frustrating part."

Dansby Swanson on his finish to the year

The two-time All-Star knows he didn't deliver for his team - and given his track record and personality, that will fuel him all offseason long and heading into 2024. He's not one to make excuses and he knows that, for the Cubs to turn the corner next year, he's going to have to be at his best in the biggest moments.