13-Year MLB Veteran Brandon Crawford Signed Free-Agent Contract With The Cardinals, Pending Physical
As per a league source, The St. Louis Cardinals are signing three-time All-Star Brandon Crawford while the physical is still pending.
The Cardinals are signing Brandon Crawford pic.twitter.com/ZlzNQuGiDK
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 26, 2024
On Monday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area confirmed the report on former Giants shortstop Crawford to be signed to a free-agent contract with the Cardinals.
After the pending physical deal is signed, 37-year-old Crawford is set to be a backup shortstop behind rookie Masyn Winn until further clarity on Tommy Edman’s recovery from wrist surgery.
Previously, Crawford had been in the major league for 13 years with the San Francisco Giants and had played a key role in the team’s 2012 and 2014 World Series championships.
An All-Star in 2021, when he won his fourth Gold Glove, Crawford hit .298/.373/.522 with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs and finished fourth in voting for the National League MVP award.
However, in 2022 his performance dipped, and appeared in just 93 games last season due to various injuries and posted a .194/.273/.314 line.
The 13-year MLB veteran deal with the Cardinals came after the Giants signed two-time Gold Glove winner Nick Ahmed to a minor league contract.
Earlier Crowford has signaled his desire to play in the upcoming 2024 season, his agent confirmed to The San Francisco Chronicle’s John Shea in November that the 37-year-old was open to continuing his career.
The aforementioned he is expected to compete for a backup infield spot, likely behind rookie shortstop Masyn Winn a 21-year-old top prospect, who finished the 2023 MLB season in St. Louis.