The Chicago Cubs made an interesting decision over the past week, opting to bench Dansby Swanson in hopes of it sparking some level of offensive improvement. Chicago is at a complete loss as to what to do with a shortstop that has become one of the league's biggest offensive liabilities, hitting a concerning .180 with 56 strikeouts already in the 2026 season. To put it simply, the Cubs have to be considering all options as the infielder is far past a simple cold streak and is putting together the worst season of his career.
Leading us to look at Swanson's contract and see if any escape is offered in the remainder of the deal. Chicago signed the shortstop two a seven year pact with $177 million fully guaranteed. To put it simply there is no escape from the deal unless the Cubs find a team willing to take on the veteran as a reclamation project.
From Chicago's perspective, this isn't ideal either, with the franchise not having a clear answer at short if this is who Swanson is moving forward. The deal has three years remaining at $28, $27, and $26 million due on the final three years of the deal.
Swallowing this level of dead money isn't an option unless the Cubs are completely confident that this is who Swanson is going to be moving forward. If this is the only version of the shortstop that the Cubs are going to get over the next two years, a roster cut becomes a viable option at the end of the 2027 season with two years of dead money remaining.
Chicago Cubs Have Very Few Options with Dansby Swanson's Contract
It isn't the first former Atlanta Braves player that the Cubs signed who proved to age poorly. Fans will be quick to point to Jason Heyward's massive contract as a worse situation than Swanson's and a deal that took Chicago some time to come to grips with due to the incredible lost value.
Swanson is now in this same period with the Cubs, understanding that it is lost value, but not being ready to punt on the shortstop just yet. There will need to be at least the rest of the 2026 season and another year of struggles before the franchise is capable of turning the page on such a high-dollar contract.
Unfortunately, the Cubs are stuck and have no moves left for the time being, with Swanson's benching being the lone card the franchise can play as they simply sit back and hope that the shortstop begins to figure things out and show signs of life at the plate.
| More Cubs News and Rumors |
Add us as a preferred source on Google