The St. Louis Cardinals are planning on entering Opening Day with Masyn Winn as their primary shortstop. However, due to injuries and inexperience, the Cardinals made sure to bring in some backup.
St. Louis has signed long-time San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford, via Katie Woo of The Athletic. The details of Crawford’s contract have not yet been revealed.
With Winn starting, Crawford is expected to operate as his direct backup. St. Louis still does not know how much time Tommy Edman will miss after undergoing wrist surgery. Rather than continue to wait, St. Louis went out and added Crawford for some extra protection.
The two-time World Series champion has appeared in 1,654 games over his 13-year MLB career. Crawford has hit .250 with 146 home runs, 744 RBI and 47 stolen bases. Alongside his World Series rings, Crawford is a four-time Gold Glover, a three-time All-Star and a Silver Slugger.
Injuries held Crawford back in 2023 as he appeared in just 93 games. When he did play, the shortstop hit just .194 with seven home runs, 38 RBI and three stolen bases. The Cardinals are hoping Crawford will pack a bigger punch in St. Louis batter’s box.
But outside of offense, Crawford has always been a defensive wizard. Furthermore, he’s a MLB veteran who knows what it takes to succeed. While Masyn Winn oozes potential, he has just 37 games of major league experience under his belt.
The Cardinals are trying to shake off their disastrous 2023 season and return to the playoffs. With Brandon Crawford, St. Louis has insured they have a Winn backup plan and a multitude of options at the shortstop position.
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