Report: Where Red Sox stand in Dansby Swanson sweepstakes originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Red Sox have a Xander Bogaerts-sized hole at shortstop, and Dansby Swanson is the best remaining free agent who can try to fill it.
The Red Sox, who reportedly expressed interest in Swanson before losing Bogaerts to the San Diego Padres, are still in the mix for the 28-year-old shortstop, per multiple reports.
They have plenty of competition, though: The Athletic’s Jim Bowden identified the Chicago Cubs as the team “most likely” to sign Swanson after missing out on Carlos Correa while listing the Minnesota Twins and St. Louis Cardinals as potential suitors as well.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are also in play for Swanson, per MLB Network’s Jon Heymanwhile USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale isn’t ruling out Swanson’s return to the Atlanta Braves.
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Swanson enjoyed a career year for the Braves in 2022, batting .277 with 25 home runs and 96 RBIs to earn his first All-Star nod. The 28-year-old also is an excellent defender who won a Gold Glove at shortstop this past season.
Swanson’s talent means he’ll probably get paid, however, especially after watching Trea Turner (11 years, $300 million), Bogaerts (11 years, $280 million) and Carlos Correa (13 years, $350 million) strike it rich in free agency.
Even if Swanson’s deal doesn’t top $300 million, it probably wouldn’t sit well with Red Sox fans if Boston shelled out close to that amount to sign Swanson after letting a franchise icon walk in Bogaerts. So, unless the Red Sox can land Swanson on a shorter-term deal, it seems more likely they’d transition Trevor Story to shortstop and take their chances on the second base market.