What’s Dansby Swanson been up to?
![Mar 7, 2016; Dunedin, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson (80) talks with shortstop Ozzie Albies (87) prior to the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Florida Auto Exchange Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fvenomstrikes-com-2Ffiles-2F2016-2F04-2Fdansby-swanson-mlb-spring-training-atlanta-braves-toronto-blue-jays-850x560-f5080a5c53b3528e4e2e3cd3d615b266.jpg)
Remember Dansby Swanson? He was the guy the Diamondbacks drafted first overall last season. He was supposed to be the future of the franchise.
But it was not to be. The Diamondbacks packaged him, along with Aaron Blair and Ender Inciarte, to the Braves in exchange for Shelby Miller. And now he is the crown jewel of Atlanta’s organization.
Much like an ex-girlfriend, a lot of Diamondbacks fans probably want to forget about Swanson, and the trade.
But for those curious, Swanson has been doing just fine since the trade. He’s currently with the Braves’ High-A team, the Carolina Mudcats, where he’s batting .344/.425/.531 with a homer and nine RBI in 16 games. He still figures to be the shortstop of the Braves future, and could find himself in the majors at some point next season.
I know I’m beating a dead horse, but this is a trade that can really come back to bite the Diamondbacks in the behind. The team traded its top two prospects and a .300 hitter for a good-but-not-great starter. The team will need results from Miller– and the team at large– over the next three seasons in order to fully justify this trade. If Swanson, Blair or Inciarte become stars and the Diamondbacks don’t at least make the playoffs with Miller, this could be one of the worst trades in team history. And that’s saying a lot, since we’re talking about the team that traded Max Scherzer.
In case you’re wondering, his prospect still hasn’t faded: he’s ranked 17th overall according to Baseball America and sixth overall according to MLB Pipeline.