When Dansby Swanson signed a $177 million contract with the Chicago Cubs, the Gold Glove shortstop recognized the investment came with a certain level of responsibility. Swanson took it seriously enough that another offer became an inside joke. Cubs executives Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins would give Swanson an offseason cubicle — only if he wore khakis to the office.
That was an obvious nonstarter, given Swanson’s sense of style. Instead, the Cubs are making the Swanson flow headband a Wrigley Field giveaway next weekend, so fans can rock the look of his jet-black hair. Around the team, though, it is more about substance.
Growing up in Georgia, Swanson was an undersized and overlooked recruit before he caught the attention of Vanderbilt, which he helped elevate into a College World Series-winning program. As a No. 1 draft pick who got traded to his hometown team, Swanson understood pressure and expectations, and how the Atlanta Braves constructed a World Series winner. Marrying his wife Mallory, a forward for the Chicago Stars and the U.S. women’s national soccer team, increased Swanson’s presence on the North Side, and they are expecting their first child.
Considering Swanson’s stature and what he observed as the Cubs hit an 83-win ceiling his first two seasons in…
