MLB Twitter reacts to emotional story of why Dansby Swanson chose the Chicago Cubs: "He made it through without crying, doesn't mean all of us did"

The Chicago Cubs and All-Star shortstop Dansby Swanson agreed to a seven-year, $177 million deal. It's a perfect match for the pair, as the team has been looking for a high-level shortstop for some time now. Swanson's wife, Mallory Pugh, plays for the Chicago Red Stars of the NWSL.

We would later understand that this was much more of a perfect match because of the location. At the press conference to make the new deal official, Swanson revealed why he eventually chose the Cubs.

The day after Swanson and Mallory got married, they learned that Swanson's grandfather wasn't doing too well and was in hospice. After the couple rushed to the senior living facility, Swanson's grandfather passed away.

The shortstop remembered that growing up, his grandfather, who lived across the yard from Swanson and his family, would often hit him groundballs after school at his request.

Swanson recalled that his grandfather always had a Cubs game on TV despite the other family members being Atlanta Braves fans. Eventually, the Cubs became Swanson's second-favorite team.

On account of that special connection, the shortstop knew the Chicago Cubs had to be the team he signed with.

The fans couldn't be happier with the player they got. Swanson is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. He's also coming off consecutive seasons where he has led the league in games played. And with how often players are hurt now, durability is one of the most important things a player can have.

Dansby Swanson is perfect for the Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have been missing an All-Star-level shortstop since Javier Baez walked in free agency. It was tough for fans to watch him sign with the Detroit Tigers; he was a fan favorite in Chicago.

Swanson is coming off his first All-Star game appearance during a season where he went .277/.329/.776 with 25 home runs. He was just two home runs shy of tying his career-best.

He's consistently hit well above .200, and it seems he's only getting better with each MLB season under his belt. Chicago certainly got a good one in Swanson.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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