2023 Season Report Cards: Shortstops |
Now that the right side of the infield is complete, we shift over to the left side, which once again has some uncertainty going forward. Sure, Dansby Swanson may have the shortstop position locked in stone for the next six seasons, but on his right side is where the question is, as the Cubs don't have a long-term solution at third base, and judging by last season, it doesn't look like they have a short-term solution either.
Regarding shortstops, the Cubs have had a ton of luck at that position, and that continues. From Starlin Castro to Addison Russell and Javy Baez and now Swanson, you can see the Cubs' talent at the SS position as they have been blessed with some of the best in the game, at least defensively. Here are our grades for the shortstops in 2023.
Part of the massive free agent class that featured four of the top SSs of the last decade, Swanson was not only one of the older shortstops in the class, but would come with the cheapest price tag. The Cubs stayed patient during the whole process and were rewarded with Swanson as he signed a seven-year contract for around 185 million. Yes, it's a ton of money, but when you look at what Xander Bogaerts, Trea Turner, and Carlos Correa got, this deal can be considered a bargain. Known for his gold glove defense, which he will always be a front runner for, Swanson has been one of those inconsistent offensive players that has been putting it together late. After failing to reach 20 homers over his first five seasons, Swanson broke out for a career-high 27 homers in 2022 and followed that up with a solid 2023. His average could have been better, hitting .244, but with 22 homers and 80 RBIs, the production was there again. His big thing is becoming more consistent, as he was very streaky this season. He was terrific the first two months, struggled in June and July, picked up in August, and was terrible down the stretch. Season Grade B: Swanson was hard to grade, mainly because you have to look at two parts of his game. From a defensive side, Swanson did make some uncharacteristic errors that he doesn't tend to make, but he still made plays that make your jaw drop. He will once again be one of the favorites to land another Gold Glove, as that will always be his calling. Offensively, Swanson may need to simplify his approach as this was the part of his game that struggled the most. Sure, the numbers were good, but he was striking out at a much higher rate than in the past while also being terrible in the clutch. He is a better hitter than he showed this season, but he isn't as good as he was in April and May when he was tearing the cover off the ball. All the Cubs are asking of him is to hit in the .260-.270 range and continue to produce at the level he did this season.
The Cubs had an extremely busy offseason last year, but their first move was acquiring Miles Mastrobuoni from Tampa. The Utility infielder was supposed to compete for the final roster spot, given his versatility in the field. He made the team out of camp, but wasn't very good and was thus sent to Iowa. That was the common trend for him all season as he bounced between AAA and the MLB for virtually what seemed like every week. He showed what he could do each time he went to the Minors, hitting .295 across 39 games with two homers and 14 RBIs. His 36BB/39K ratio was also promising, as he was called up in August and remained on the team the rest of the way. Mastrobuoni went on to play 61 games for the Cubs this season and struggled to hit .241 while hitting one homer and driving in five. However, the season's final two weeks stand out the most, as he was the team's most consistent and best hitter during that time. While it is unknown what the future holds for him, you can see the value he brings, and the Cubs will face a tough decision with him. Grade C: Some of you may wonder why he is getting this high grade, but the answer is simple. Mastrobuoni was challenged all season as he had to bounce between AAA and the MLB roster constantly. That makes it difficult for players to settle in and get a consistent rhythm. Once he was given consistent time to find a rhythm in September, he started hitting, and that was what the Cubs were expecting from him all season.Dansby Swanson
Miles Mastrobuoni
