The Chicago Cubs and Dansby Swanson are reportedly finalizing a deal, which is no surprise considering wife Mallory Pugh is based in Chicago.
One of the last major free agents on the market, it seems Dansby Swanson has finally found a home — and it’s not in Atlanta.
Swanson has been tied to the Cubs all offseason, as the Cubs are in need of a shortstop, and Swanson has been considered an ideal fit for the Cubs roster.
And on Swanson’s end, there was believed to be a more personal reason influencing a potential signing in Chicago. Swanson didn’t explicitly express anything beforehand, but his wife, NWSL and USWNT star forward Mallory Pugh, plays for the Chicago Red Stars and is contracted with them through the next year.
While the couple has been long-distance for the majority of their relationship, Swanson and Pugh tied the knot on Dec. 10th in the Atlanta area. Still, they’ve expressed joy at beginning a new chapter together, so it makes sense the newlyweds would choose to live in the same city with a move that allows both of their illustrious careers to flourish.
Dansby Swanson and Mallory Pugh become the ultimate power couple in Chicago sports
Pugh, who helped the USWNT earn a 2023 World Cup bid this summer, helped lead the Red Stars to a limited playoff berth in 2022. Both Swanson and Pugh exited the playoffs the same week this October, but Chicago fans can hope that the two will both see extended runs in 2023 with the Red Stars and the Cubs.
While the deal is still being finalized, the reported amount is a seven-year, $177 million deal, per Bally Sports’ Russell Dorsey.
With Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa and Trea Turner out of the “big four” shortstop sweepstakes, Swanson secures a sizable sum and a future with the Cubs as the last remaining big-name player on the market.
The 28-year-old Swanson is full of promise and only seems on the cusp of what he is capable of accomplishing. Now, he and his wife can begin the next chapter of their lives and careers in the same city, and Cubs fans get to enjoy seven years of cheering on Dansby Swanson.