With two of this offseason’s four marquee free-agent shortstops having already been claimed with a pair of contracts totaling $580 million, (the Phillies’ $300 million deal with Trea Turner and the Padres’ $280 million commitment to Xander Bogaerts), that leaves two (Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson) still unsigned.
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Correa is perceived as the bigger prize than Swanson due to his superior overall offensive profile and cannon arm, and he was indeed ranked higher on our free-agent rankings heading into the offseason. But there’s a lot to like about the longtime Braves shortstop, who’s only seven months older than his fellow former No. 1 pick. He’s hit more home runs than Correa in each of the last three seasons, has stolen 32 bases to Correa’s zero over that period and seems more likely to stick at shortstop for longer after winning the National League Gold Glove this year. Swanson also seems like the safer bet to avoid the injured list going forward, as he’s missed only 39 games over the last four years—including just two in the last three seasons—compared to Correa’s 127.
