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The Chicago Cubs' signing of Dansby Swanson before the 2023 season was meant to signal a direction change for the organization. Rebuilding was no longer the focus for a Cubs' front office that tore down the 2016 World Series core at the 2021 MLB trade deadline, and Swanson's arrival was meant to signal the team was ready to contend. It took the third year of Swanson's contract for the Cubs to finally reach the playoffs.
While a majority of the Cubs' core is set to become a free agent after 2026, Swanson is just now entering the middle of his contract with the team. Swanson has four more years on the 7-year, $177MM deal he signed with the Cubs, and fans might be wishing they could forget that fact.
The one Cubs contract fans wish they could forget going into 2026
When healthy, Swanson remains one of the best defensive shortstops in all of baseball. Swanson's defense may be the reason why the Cubs advanced out of the National League Wild Card round this past season. But making north of $25MM in each of the next four years, the Cubs are paying a hefty price to have an elite defensive shortstop.
When the Cubs signed Swanson, the hope was that the power he flashed during his final two seasons with the Atlanta Braves could find a new layer. Instead, Swanson's power output has largely remained the same.
Swanson's last season with the Braves in 2022 saw him hit 25 home runs with an ISO (Slugging percentage - Batting Average) of .170. In his three seasons with the Cubs, Swanson has hit 20+ home runs in two of those years, but his average ISO is .164. In other words, there's been a slight regression in Swanson's power since joining the Cubs. That slight regression does make a difference for Swanson, as it turns him into a hitter that is best served at the bottom of the lineup.
Add in the fact that Swanson will turn 32 before next season, and the contract isn't going to age well for the Cubs. That dreadful reality will only be heightened if there is a work stoppage after 2026 and the 2027 season is lost.