Brandon Crawford, who won two World Series and spent the first 13 seasons of his career with the Giants, was cut by the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday.
The 37-year-old shortstop from Mountain View appeared in 28 games for the Cardinals this year. Crawford’s unconditional release came in a string of roster moves for the Cardinals, who have slipped out of postseason contention for a second straight year.
This winter, Crawford begrudgingly left San Francisco for St. Louis to continue his storied career. He told The Athletic that he wanted to return to the Giants — even in a reduced role as a veteran leader — but was only told that he’d get the chance to earn the last spot on the roster like anyone else could as a non-roster invitee.
“The bottom line is I was not wanted back by the one person whose (opinion) matters,” Crawford told The Athletic, referring to Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. “So I went with a team that gave me a major-league contract. The Cardinals have a long history and tradition. I’ve admired and respected the way the Cardinals have played throughout my career and the way the organization has been run.”
Crawford has won four Gold Glove awards and been named to three All-Star teams. He’s appeared in the 10th most games among active players and the most among shortstops. His 1,404 hits rank 30th among active players.
With the Cardinals, Crawford hit .169 with a .544 OPS in 80 plate appearances. He backed up young shortstop Masyn Winn, who has had a breakout year, while also playing some third base.
Among the 482 players with at least 50 plate appearances, Crawford’s 58 wRC+ ranks 416th.
The Giants were scheduled to host Crawford’s return to Oracle Park in the last week of the season, but now he won’t be with the Cardinals when they arrive at Third and King.
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Crawford already got a sendoff for the Giants, when they let him pitch in last year’s regular season finale. The club subbed him out before the game ended so he could tip his cap to a standing ovation, then played a highlight-filled tribute video. After that ended, he grabbed the microphone and addressed the crowd, thanking his hometown fans for supporting him.
“Personally, from the grand slam in Milwaukee to the World Series wins to today, you guys always showed me love,” Crawford told the Oracle Park crowd. “My family and I appreciate it so much. You guys are the best. Thank you.”
Crawford is the greatest shortstop to ever play for the Giants. Now his playing days, for San Francisco or any other club, could very well be over.
