FILE — Atlanta Braves’ Vaughn Grissom warms up before Game 4 of baseball’s National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Oct. 15, 2022, in Philadelphia. The five-time defending NL East champion Atlanta Braves are moving closer to spring training with Vaughn Grissom one of two top contenders to replace shortstop Dansby Swanson, who signed as a free agent with the Cubs.

The Atlanta Braves’ loss with shortstop Dansby Swanson’s departure is the team’s gain with Vaughn Grissom … or at least they hope so. The team that has signed most of its core to long-term deals actually has a question mark at shortstop.

Swanson was close to a sure thing the Braves had at the position. He was a top-notch defender coming off the best offensive season of his career. Swanson finished with a .277 batting average, 25 home runs and 96 RBIs. His offensive surge netted him an All-Star nod, Gold Glove and 12th place in the Most Valuable Player award voting.

No one would have faulted the Braves if they had signed their homegrown fan favorite to an exorbitant contract and bank on last year’s production not being a fluke.

But general manager Alex Anthopoulos chose a different route. Instead of signing Swanson to a contract extension and hoping his production would continue to rise for years to come, Anthopoulos gambled and let Swanson walk out the door.

He is betting the team’s future at shortstop should not focus on Swanson, who was also just a year removed from being one of the team’s World Series heroes as it captured its second championship. He’s betting on one of last year’s rookie sensations who dazzled at second base in place of the injured Ozzie Albies.

Anthopolous is banking the team’s fortunes at shortstop ride with Grissom, who only played the position once in a limited sample size as a rookie. Grissom is a considerably cheaper and much younger option even if he has yet to prove it over a 162-game schedule.

Grissom certainly had his moments after being promoted from the minor leagues. He managed 141 at-bats last year but tallied 41 hits, including 5 homers and 18 RBIs. He finished with a strong .291 batting average. The Braves have a strong enough offense to offset any lack of production that Grissom might bring to the lineup. It is the defensive side of the coin that probably has most Braves fans cautious.

He has the physical frame needed to play the position. Grissom is rangy at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds. He’s also had strong offseason tutelage with third-base coach Ron Washington.

The Braves are built to win now and in the future. Certainly, Grissom is part of those plans. It still qualifies as a risk to let a proven commodity and fan favorite in Swanson leave town.

But the same could be said about Freddie Freeman’s departure the prior year. It worked just fine with the acquisition of Matt Olson to play first base. Turns out Swanson’s successor didn’t need to be traded for. Grissom was already on the team. He just needed the opportunity.