Rumors: Cubs, Cardinals heading toward Dansby Swanson bidding war?

According to reports, the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs could both be bidding for the services of free agent shortstop Dansby Swanson, bringing a new layer to an old rivalry this winter.

Of course, that rivalry between the Cubs and Cardinals has already taken an interesting twist this offseason, with former Chicago catcher Willson Contreras signing a deal with St. Louis. Contreras then went on to say that he first envisioned being a Cardinals player the day he saw Albert Pujols hit his 695th career home run (against the Cubs) and started envisioning playing for a team with that kind of winning tradition.

That statement certainly raised the eyebrows of Cubs fans, and if St. Louis were to land Swanson, viewed as the “most realistic” option for Chicago to fill an opening at shortstop, it would be another blow to the Wrigley faithful.

Rumors say Cubs, Cardinals could be in dogfight for Dansby Swanson

Swanson’s choice may come down to the Cubs and Cardinals, and it also may be a higher price than either team perhaps expected to pay when the offseason began. With large deals handed out to Xander Bogaerts (by the San Diego Padres) and Trea Turner (by the Philadelphia Phillies) already this offseason, MLB insiders believe Swanson is in line for a larger-than-expected payday.

"“I think Dansby Swanson’s market is going to explode,” MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand said during Friday’s edition of High Heat as quoted in this article. “[If] he’s the last shortstop available and you’ve still got four or five teams in the market for a shortstop, which I think benefits him. I think his number is going to go up.”"

Those teams not only include the Cardinals and Cubs, but also the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins, per MLB.com. Carlos Correa, the other high-profile free agent shortstop available this offseason, is reportedly being pursued by the Twins, San Francisco Giants, and New York Yankees.

Rumors have already put Swanson with the Cardinals as well as the Cubs, setting up what could be a fight to the finish between a pair of division rivals for a shortstop that could give one of them a distinctive edge in 2023 and beyond.