After Dansby Swanson was launched Wednesday as the most recent Chicago Cubs savior, I requested his spouse, Chicago Red Stars ahead Mallory Pugh, if she gave him a scouting report on town.
“Great food, great in the summer,” she stated.
True sufficient, and there was no want to debate the upcoming blizzard-vortex combo package deal that follows their journey to Chicago. The metropolis’s greatest sports activities energy couple since Nomar Garciaparra and Mia Hamm gained’t need to winter right here.
As Swanson revealed Wednesday within the Cubs workplace constructing subsequent to Wrigley Field, it didn’t take a lot convincing for him to signal a seven-year, $177 million deal. Between his spouse taking part in in Chicago and his late grandfather, Herb Swanson, having made him watch Cubs video games on WGN as a child in Atlanta, Dansby believed this was “a match made in heaven.”
“Watching as many games as he did (that were) on in the day, he just grew into that kind of (fandom of) ‘Everyone likes the Cubbies, right?’” Swanson stated. “He grew into that love of appreciating the Cubs and watching the Cubs and having this affinity and love towards Chicago.
“It was funny. I was always like, ‘Pops, why are you watching the Cubs game?’ It’s a lot more personal to me than people realize. There’s definitely a story behind that.”
Herb Swanson died earlier this month on the day after Swanson’s and Pugh’s marriage ceremony, Dansby stated whereas momentarily breaking down. Meanwhile, his future was within the air and the Atlanta Braves let him know re-signing him wasn’t a precedence.
Most thought of Swanson the fourth-best of the “Big Four” shortstops on the free-agent market, however his worth rose as Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Carlos Correa agreed to long-term megadeals.
“I got the pretty clear sense that they were going to move on,” he stated of Braves administration. “I don’t wish to say issues I don’t must say. But it form of solidified (my determination).
“It got to a point where, we’re on our honeymoon, that we felt like this is where we’re supposed to be regardless. That feeling was starting to come about even before some of those conversations were had, and that kind of solidified and brought as much clarity as there could be.”
Cubs President Jed Hoyer focused Swanson early within the offseason and acquired the deal achieved Saturday to keep away from a protracted winter of listening to complaints about going 0-for-4 on the Big Four. Hoyer stated Swanson interviewed him as a lot as he interviewed the free agent, specializing in the Cubs “plan” for profitable. This would affirm there truly is a plan, a lot to the aid of Cubs followers.
Swanson stated he was intrigued by discuss of the Cubs pitching lab, their curiosity in run prevention and the prospects on faucet. The Cubs pitched him with a video that included Jon Lester speaking about his determination to signal with the group in free company after the 2014 season, a win-win deal for either side.
Swanson stated one thing as minor as Chairman Tom Ricketts remembering his mother and father’ names additionally mattered to him.
“It’s little things like that,” he stated. “Guys like him that care about the organization and really want to do things right. You know they’re going to be invested in the team financially, and he really feels we’re heading in the right direction and he’ll do what needs to be done to get this team to be the caliber that everyone wants it to be.”
Signing Swanson was the largest step ahead for the reason that Big March Backward two years in the past, when ace Yu Darvish was despatched to the San Diego Padres to start the sell-off.
So has Ricketts been vindicated for spending, as he promised in September?
“Yeah, the last two offseasons we have been aggressive,” Hoyer stated, naming Marcus Stroman, Seiya Suzuki, Cody Bellinger, Jameson Taillon and Swanson. “Obviously we took our step again financially after the (COVID-19) yr, however we’re constructing again.
“It’s hard to build back all at once without potentially making some mistakes, but I feel like we’ve targeted these players, we brought them in and been aggressive in free agency two years in a row.”
Could this be the beginning of a “big spending” interval?
“The last two offseasons are a good road map for the future,” he stated.
That’s Cubs-speak for “intelligent” spending over 10-year offers.
But since that future consists of taking part in in the identical National League because the New York Mets, the Cubs can spend all they need and never come near Mets proprietor Steve Cohen’s payroll in Queens.
The Swanson introduction, like Aaron Judge’s information convention with the New York Yankees, was upstaged by the stunning information the Mets had swooped in in a single day and signed Correa to a 12-year, $315 million deal after his 13-year, $350 million cope with the San Francisco Giants collapsed due to reported medical points.
Hoyer was stunned by the information however seemingly unalarmed by the Mets’ $380 million — and counting — payroll.
“Listen, in our game we don’t have a hard cap,” he stated. “This isn’t the NFL. Everyone is running their own railroad. You can’t get caught up in what they can do or can’t do or what other teams can do. You have to focus on what you can do and put your puzzle together the best way possible.”
The Cubs didn’t have to fret about Swanson’s deal hitting a snag. But as quickly because it was official, Hoyer might breathe a sigh of aid. Even these followers who had Swanson as their fourth desire among the many Big Four may concede he appeared like an ideal slot in a Cubs jersey — even speaking like a younger Anthony Rizzo, circa 2014, when the primary baseman grew to become the mentor of the Kris Bryant-Kyle Schwarber core.
Swanson and Nico Hoerner may very well be paired collectively within the center infield lengthy sufficient to develop into as acquainted because the Don Kessinger-Glenn Beckert combo within the Nineteen Sixties. Hoerner was all-in on transferring to second base to make manner for a major free agent, and he texted Swanson to welcome him to the Cubs.
“He reached out to me before I even had a chance to reach out to him, if that says anything about him,” Swanson stated. “That meant a lot to me because that’s something I’ve always tried to do when I was in Atlanta when we got new players, be the first to reach out. I’m excited to have this partnership over the next however many years.”
Finally, a plan Cubs followers can endorse.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com
