Best bang for your buck: revealing shortstop free agent values vs Cardinals

Seven All-Star caliber shortstops have been signed recently, and the Cardinals passed on each one of them. Were they wise to run with who they already had?

St. Louis Cardinals v Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals v Pittsburgh Pirates | Justin Berl/GettyImages
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Dansby Swanson

Dansby Swanson was viewed as the fourth-best shortstop this past offseason. He was initially drafted first overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015 but was traded as a prospect to the Atlanta Braves. He spent seven years in Atlanta then signed with the Cubs. He has been known primarily for his defensive prowess, but he has shown the ability to lead an offense at times.

Swanson has been worth 18.9 WAR for his career and has earned $45 million up to this point. Fangraphs calculates his free agent value being $150.9 million. His surplus value is $105.9 million.

Dansby Swanson, according to Fangraphs, has only been more valuable than Paul DeJong. Even Tommy Edman has been more valuable than Swanson.