PHILADELPHIA -- Upset after the Braves’ elimination by the Phillies from the National League Division Series, Dansby Swanson said Saturday that his future with the club was the last thing on his mind.
“Losing always sucks,” he said. “I can’t say I’ve ever been good at dealing with losing, and this time is no different.”
The shortstop will become a free agent when the season ends unless he and the Braves can reach an agreement on a contract before then. Swanson’s representatives, Excel Sports Management, and the club had discussions in August about his future. Swanson played this year on a one-year deal for $10 million. Swanson, 28, is a remaining key player on the team who hasn’t been signed by the club to a new contract.
Players can’t sign new contracts with another club until five days after the season’s final game. Swanson, considered one of the biggest prizes in free agency, could re-sign with the Braves if he becomes a free agent.
Swanson is a self-described Braves fan. He grew up in Marietta, attended Marietta High and then Vanderbilt and was drafted by Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2015 amateur draft. They traded him to the Braves in 2016.
After a slow start, Swanson developed into one of the better shortstops in baseball. He hit .277 with 25 home runs and 97 RBIs this season. His career season averages are .255 with 20 home runs and 81 RBIs. The team has won five consecutive NL East titles and the World Series last season.
Manager Brian Snitker said he hopes Saturday’s 8-3 loss wasn’t the last time he managed Swanson.
“I love that guy, just what he brings, consistency,” Snitker said. “I’ve never seen a player that wants to win more than him. And like I say, hopefully I get to reconvene with him. We’ll see.
“But I can’t say enough good things about that kid and his makeup and drive and determination and the person he is. And I think the world of him. I have so much respect for him, how he goes about it. It’s cool, too, because I’ve seen the first day he got in here until now and how he’s grown and matured and the player that he’s become.”
Teammate Ronald Acuna said through the team’s interpreter that Swanson has been like a brother to him.
“I’ve loved being able to play next to him,” he said. “And, honestly, I really hope we can bring him back and sign him back next year to keep this thing going.”
If Swanson were to sign elsewhere, he would become the second beloved Brave to leave the franchise in as many years, after first baseman Freddie Freeman signed with the Dodgers for the 2022 season.
“He’s such a genuine guy,” third baseman Austin Riley said of Swanson. “He loves the game of baseball, wants to win more than anybody, and the important thing is he’s very selfless. He wants the best for everyone else.”
