5 shortstop trade options the St. Louis Cardinals should consider

Dansby Swanson, Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves’ Dansby Swanson may not be a name that comes immediately to mind, especially since his current team is coming off a World Series championship it undoubtedly is eager to defend.  However, things don’t always work out as planned.

The Positive: Swanson provide solid all-around skills.  His bat has been roughly average the last few seasons.  His defense rates somewhere between average to very good, depending on which metric you choose; regardless, he’s no butcher with the leather.  And he’s a solid baserunner who can steal a base when needed.  It’s not the sexiest profile, but it works.

The Negative: Nothing Swanson does really jumps off the page.  Sure, he hit 27 home runs last year, but he’s never topped 17 in any other season, and this year’s baseball looks like it will tamp down power all season.

His best seasonal batting average is .274, his top on-base percentage, in .345, and his highest slugging percentage is .464.  All of those numbers were in the shortened 2020 season, so they could have been propped up by a hot streak or two.

The Complicated: As with the Red Sox, the Braves’ decision-making as the trade deadline approaches will be a major factor.  Atlanta didn’t sell last year despite being below .500 for a good portion of the season, and holding steady paid off.  Would they more readily deal their talent under similar circumstances this season?

If the Braves did make Swanson available, what would he cost?  As a player heading into free agency, the acquisition price wouldn’t be that great.  Rental prices have plummeted the last several years as teams realize 2-3 months of a player often aren’t worth several years of a promising prospect.