Shortstop Dansby Swanson being sent to Triple-A Gwinnett
The Atlanta Braves' consensus No. 1 prospect entering the 2017 season will be returning to the minor-league ranks.
Dansby Swanson, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft, will be sent to Triple-A Gwinnett in an attempt to turn around a disappointing rookie season.
https://twitter.com/Braves/status/890403629659828227
Swanson entered the season as one of the top prospects in all of baseball and Atlanta's everyday starting shortstop, but the former Vanderbilt product and Diamondbacks draft pick has struggled in his first full season at the major-league level.
The 23-year-old has posted sub-replacement level production with a paltry .213/.287/.312 slash line, a rate that sits 48 percent below league average. His 14 errors in the field, the second-worst mark in the National League, have only exacerbated Swanson's 2017 concerns.
Coupled with Swanson's struggles, the emergence of fellow 23-year-old infielder Johan Camargo led directly to Braves manager Brian Snitker relegating Dansby Swanson to the bench, sitting him for nine of the past 18 games. (Swanson started Wednesday's getaway game in Arizona and notched two hits, including a double.) The primary function of this move will be to allow Swanson to receiver consistent at-bats.
Camargo, of course, can play multiple infield positions, but the presence of 36-year-old pending free agent Brandon Phillips, first baseman Matt Adams and position-switching superstar Freddie Freeman makes for a crowded infield at the moment. With the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline looming, this could be a short-term effort to reestablish Swanson's confidence and swing against lower-level pitching as the team searches for buyers.
However, for a team sitting nine games back in the wildcard race, allowing promising young players like Swanson to play through struggles is likely the best bet. The franchise is not — or should not be — in win-now mode.
Prediction: Expect to see Swanson back at the highest level in the near future.
