Cardinals: Ranking the 10 worst contracts in the National League Central Division

3) Dansby Swanson

Swanson, like Taillon, was part of the Cubs' spending spree last offseason. Swanson was coming off of a career year in Atlanta. In his final season as a Brave, he was outstanding. He played in every single game, hit .277, smashed 25 homers, and finished 12th in NL MVP voting. He also won his first gold glove award. This was a well-timed career year, considering that before this, he'd been a consistently below-average offensive player.

The Cubs, acting aggressively, signed Swanson to a seven-year deal worth $177MM. This is far larger than any contract the Cardinals, Cubs, Reds, or Brewers have ever given out to a free agent. Swanson hasn't been terrible in Chicago. In fact, he's been a very solid player this year, and his offensive numbers have decreased only slightly.

It's nothing near the disaster that the Javier Baez contract is. In most divisions, this deal may not even crack the top ten, but it finds itself here on this list because of the long commitment and the risk involved. Swanson will turn 30 over the offseason. The Cubs were fortunate to not tack on excessive years like the Phillies did with Turner, but it's still probable that Swanson will not be a $25MM player in his age 35 and 36 seasons.