Shortstop Brandon Crawford officially announced his retirement from professional baseball on Wednesday on his Instagram account. It ends a successful 14-year major-league career that saw Crawford win two World Series with the San Francisco Giants while also being named to three All-Star teams. The 37-year-old spent the first 13 years of his career with the Giants before ending it in 2024 with the St. Louis Cardinals after he hit .169 in 28 games. Crawford was originally a fourth-round pick by the Gigantes in 2008 out of UCLA. Perhaps his best season came in 2021, when he had a career-highs in batting average (.298), home runs (24), RBI (90) and stolen bases (11). He won his first World Series ring in 2012 in his second year in the league. In addition to being steady with the bat, Crawford won four Gold Gloves in his career and finishes with a .249/.318/.395 career slash line and .713 OPS in 1,682 games.
The St. Louis Cardinals granted veteran shortstop Brandon Crawford his unconditional release on Tuesday to help make room on the roster for infielders Matt Carpenter (back) and Luken Baker. In his first year with St. Louis, Crawford hasn't seen much action behind starter Masyn Winn, playing in only 28 games and hitting .169/.263/.282 with a career-worst .544 OPS, one home runs, five doubles, four RBI and five runs scored. The three-time All-Star will now look to latch on with another organization to close out the 2024 season, but he's probably going to have to settle for a minor-league contract. This very well could be the 37-year-old's final year in the big leagues after a successful 14-year stint in the majors that begin in 2011 with the San Francisco Giants. Crawford had only appeared in four games for the Red Birds after the All-Star break.
The St. Louis Cardinals signed free-agent shortstop Brandon Crawford to an undisclosed deal on Monday, according to league sources. The three-time All-Star with the San Francisco Giants is expected to serve as the backup to 21-year-old rookie shortstop Masyn Winn while the team awaits further clarity on Tommy Edman's recovery from wrist surgery. Crawford spent the previous 13 seasons in the Bay Area, playing a key role in the team's 2012 and 2014 World Series championships. He was an All-Star as recently as 2021, but his performance started to decline in 2022, and he appeared in just 93 games last year due to various injuries and finished with a meager .194/.273/.314 slash line. The 37-year-old is a good defender but can't be counted on for offensive production at this point, and the 2024 season could easily be Crawford's last as a pro.
Brandon Crawford, Cardinals Could Be Nearing Agreement
The St. Louis Cardinals and free-agent shortstop Brandon Crawford could be nearing an agreement, per the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser. The long-time Giants infielder's tenure with the club all be ended on Monday when the team agreed to a contract with veteran shortstop Nick Ahmed. After exploding for an MVP-caliber 2021 season, it has been a struggle at the plate for Crawford over the last two seasons. Most recently, he hit .94 with seven home runs, three stolen bases, and a .587 OPS across just 94 games last season, production that graded out 37% below the league average, as per his 63 wRC+. He has spent all 13 of his big-league seasons with the Giants.
Free-agent shortstop Brandon Crawford continues to weigh his options while deciding if he wants to continue playing in 2024. He confirmed that "a number of teams have checked in and have expressed interest. (I'm) still evaluating my options before deciding what's next," Crawford said. He makes his offseason home in Arizona, but the Diamondbacks probably aren't an option for him after they set their infield with the trade for third baseman Eugenio Suarez this winter. There's reason to believe the Oakland Athletics would benefit from some veteran leadership in their young infield, but it remains to be seen if Crawford wants to end his career with the worst team in baseball. It's a long shot that the San Francisco Giants will reunite with Crawford, even though they still haven't added a versatile infielder who can play a plus shortstop to complement the young Marco Luciano.
Free-agent shortstop Brandon Crawford's agent, Joel Wolfe, said that his client plans to continue his career in 2024 and is already listening to interested teams on the open market. After 13 illustrious seasons with the San Francisco Giants, Crawford is a free agent this offseason and will be looking to find a new home after slashing a weak .194/.273/.314 with only seven home runs, 11 doubles, a triple, 38 RBI, three stolen bases and 31 runs scored in 93 games for the Gigantes in 2023. He will be turning 37 years of age in January, but apparently teams remain interested in him for next season, likely as a veteran bench piece and left-handed bat. Fantasy managers in standard-sized leagues should be ignoring him everywhere next spring.
Brandon Crawford Expects To Play In Season Finale Sunday
San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (hamstring) said Monday that he expects to play in Sunday's season finale at Oracle Park, per the San Francisco Chronicle. The 36-year-old veteran is currently on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain but wants to play in what could be the final game of his career. While this season was a forgettable one for Crawford overall, he has enjoyed a successful 13-season career with the Giants, winning two World Series titles, four Gold Gloves, and a Silver Slugger Award. He also provided several higher-end fantasy seasons offensively.
The San Francisco Giants placed shortstop Brandon Crawford (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday with a right-hamstring strain, ending his season. Crawford's injury came on Wednesday night. Not only will he miss the rest of the 2023 season, but Wednesday's contest could end up being his final game in San Francisco after 13 seasons with the organization. The Giants also released veteran Paul DeJong, so it will be Marco Luciano and Tyler Fitzgerald likely splitting duties at shortstop in the Bay Area the rest of the way. The 36-year-old Crawford showed he doesn't have a whole lot left in the tank this year, as he hit .197/.276/.319 with seven home runs, 11 doubles, a triple, 38 RBI, three stolen bases and 31 runs scored in 92 games. Crawford will be a free agent this winter.
San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (forearm) has been activated from the 10-day injured list on Friday. The veteran infielder has been sidelined since August 20 due to a forearm strain. The expectation is that he'll be in the lineup on Friday, but Crawford hasn't done much with the bat this season. Crawford is slashing .194/.264/.318 with six home runs and 32 RBI in over 270 plate appearances. He has been splitting time with Casey Schmitt at shortstop and that is likely to continue through the rest of the regular season.
San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (forearm) has resumed full baseball activities and participated in pregame drills on Thursday. The veteran infielder hasn't been in big league action since August 18, after he sustained a left forearm strain. Across 78 games this year, Crawford has slashed a poor .194/.264/.318 with six homers, 27 runs, 32 RBI, and three steals. He hopes to join the Giants active roster after they leave San Diego on September 3, but fantasy managers shouldn't get too excited given his lack of production.
