Cardinals agree to deal with veteran shortstop Brandon Crawford
With utility man Tommy Edman unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, the St. Louis Cardinals have added three-time All-Star shortstop Brandon Crawford to the squad to backup rookie shortstop Masyn Winn.
After finishing in fourth place in the 2021 National League Most Valuable Player voting, Crawford watched his production dip drastically. Over the past two seasons, he has slashed .216/.293/.332 with 16 home runs and 90 RBI in 211 games played.
The 37-year-old had spent all of his 13-year career with the San Francisco Giants after being selected with a fourth-round pick in the 2008 MLB Draft. Winning four Gold Glove awards and two World Series titles with the club, but they decided to part ways with him this offseason.
One of the better defensive shortstops in baseball during his time in San Francisco, Crawford now has the chance to mentor one of the best up-and-coming defensive shortstops in the 21-year-old Winn.
Crawford is yet another veteran added to the Cardinals clubhouse this offseason, as the team has been looking to add more leadership amongst their players.
Joining a Cardinals team fresh off a 91-loss season the Cardinals have improved in areas including starting pitching with the addition of pitcher Sonny Gray, who finished second in the American League Cy Young award voting last season.
The Cardinals hope that first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and third baseman Nolan Arenado will have bounce back seasons in St. Louis, as they look to get back in the postseason in 2024.
The Cardinals fanbase has been very skeptical of their offseason moves outside of Gray, and signing another aging veteran on the downside of their career is surely not to move the needle for them.
Although many experts believe the Cardinals were one of the most improved teams during the offseason.
With the season approaching fast, only time will tell if the Cardinals are going to compete in the National League in 2024.
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