The St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs could both make a bid for free agent shortstop Dansby Swanson.
Rumor has it that the Cubs and Cardinals are in a bidding war for Dansby Swanson
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Of course, the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry has already taken an interesting turn this offseason, with former Chicago catcher Willson Contreras signing with St. Louis. Contreras went on to say that he first imagined himself as a Cardinals player after seeing Albert Pujols hit his 695th career home run (against the Cubs) and began fantasizing about playing for a team with that kind of winning tradition.
That statement certainly raised the ire of Cubs fans, and if St. Louis was to land Swanson, who is regarded as Chicago’s “most realistic” option to fill a shortstop opening, it would be another setback for the Wrigley faithful.
Swanson’s decision may come down to the Cubs or Cardinals, and it may come at a higher cost than either team anticipated when the offseason began.
With Xander Bogaerts (San Diego Padres) and Trea Turner (Philadelphia Phillies) already receiving large contracts this offseason, MLB insiders believe Swanson is in line for a larger-than-expected payday.
“I think Dansby Swanson’s market is going to explode,” MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand stated on Friday’s edition of High Heat.
“[If] he’s the last shortstop available and you’ve still got four or five teams in the market for a shortstop, which I think benefits him. I think his number is going to go up.”
According to MLB.com, these teams include not only the Cardinals and Cubs, but also the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins.
Rumors have already linked Swanson to both the Cardinals and the Cubs, setting up a fight to the finish between two division rivals for a shortstop who could give one of them a distinct advantage in 2023 and beyond.
