The Cubs made the right call signing Dansby Swanson

We are at the halfway point in the 2023 MLB season, and it looks like the Chicago Cubs made the right call signing shortstop Dansby Swanson last offseason. Here are how his numbers are looking compared to the other premier shortstops that signed last offseason.

Statistically speaking, Swanson is arguably having the best year at the plate compared to Xander Bogaerts, Trea Turner and Carlos Correa. Although his power is right where you'd expect it at nine home runs and 35 RBIs, he is hitting the ball better than the others according to the Weighted Runs Created plus stat.

Where Swanson is really standing out is in Wins Above Replacement, which is more than a full point ahead of the next guy, in Bogaerts. This metric takes into account everything a player brings to the table including defense, which Swanson has been playing at a Gold Glove-caliber level.

Just from the eye test, Swanson provides the best defense out of these four players. When he's coupled with Nico Hoerner at second base, the Cubs are in the conversation of having the best middle infield in the league. Swanson also provides solid speed on the base paths, the ability to spray the ball to all fields and hit a home run once in a while.

Meanwhile, Turner and Correa look lost in their new(ish) stadiums. For the amount of money they are making they are very much underperforming at the plate despite the track records they had before getting their massive paychecks.

Overall Swanson has been a great fit in Chicago and he's generally performing better than the other three men. He also came cheaper than the others, who each signed mega deals with their respective teams. The contract details below were obtained from Spotrac.

Hopefully the Cubs can put together a better team around Swanson to cash in on his time here. He is a top-tier shortstop and it would be a shame to see his prime years wasted without much postseason action.