The Chicago Cubs enter the 2023-24 offseason knowing they need to make significant changes to transform back into a legitimate World Series contender. No one understands that more than All-Star shortstop Dansby Swanson.
Swanson signed a 7-year, $177 million contract last winter to join the Cubs, lured by the opportunity to help rebuild a winning culture on the North Side. After finishing 2023 with a near .500 record, Swanson isn't satisfied.
"With how we finished, people are going to think it's further off than it actually is," Swanson told reporters. "I think that there's a lot of really, really talented players not only here, but obviously in the lower levels that can contribute."
Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer confirmed this week that Swanson will play a major role in the team's offseason plans.
"He's going to be in our ear playing assistant GM," Hoyer said at his end-of-season press conference.
The Cubs have holes to fill at the top of the rotation, in the bullpen, and on the corners of the infield. Swanson wants to see his new team aggressively pursue upgrades through free agency and trades.
Names like Sonny Gray, Aaron Nola, and Dansby's former NL East rival Rhys Hoskins should be targets. The Cubs can also improve via trade and leverage some of their prospect capital to improve that way. Swanson will lobby Hoyer and GM Carter Hawkins to spend big where necessary, or make trades, to build a balanced roster around the existing young core.
After six straight playoff appearances with Atlanta, Swanson knows what a championship caliber team looks like. He signed up to help build that in Chicago. Now, he'll push the Cubs front office to make it happen this winter.
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