How Cardinals believe Brandon Crawford, once a rival, can solve 3 concerns: Cardinals Extra

JUPITER, Fla. — As the Cardinals reviewed a few of the things they prioritized this spring to help yank them out of last year’s quagmire — stable and steady defense, starting Masyn Winn at shortstop and adding winning experience to the clubhouse — they spotted an area lacking on the camp roster that affected all three.

They saw one potential solution.

The question was whether he wanted to be the answer.

“I’ve always liked the Cardinals organization from across the field,” All-Star shortstop Brandon Crawford said. “They are one of a couple of teams I would come to spring training out here in Florida for.”

A California native who played college ball at UCLA and played pro ball for San Francisco, Crawford is, for the first time in his career, on a new team and in a new state for spring training. Crawford arrived in Jupiter on Tuesday and tugged on a red Cardinals shirt and had to glance in a mirror.

His journey was telling. Crawford, 37, came a long way in a short time to be the Cardinals’ backup shortstop and help them solidify several areas of their roster. Crawford’s addition allows Tommy Edman to focus on center field, gives the Cardinals a reliable glove to assist Winn and adds another player to the clubhouse familiar with October victories — though some of his once came at their expense.

Crawford, who twice leapfrogged over the Cardinals in the National League Championship Series to win the World Series, passed his physical and signed a one-year contract Tuesday. He’ll make $2 million, per sources, and notably, the deal does not include any bonuses he can reach via playing time.

The Cardinals stressed how Crawford helps the roster but does not change the lineup.

“So it was something that we had been thinking about just to make sure that we had some depth there,” said John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations. “But also bringing in someone with his resume and what he’s been able to accomplish, we think he’ll be a great resource for Masyn as he continues to develop. Let’s be very clear, though: This is Masyn’s job.”

The Cardinals told Winn about their intent to sign Crawford on Sunday before Winn made his spring debut that afternoon. He went 3 for 3 with a stolen base and a snazzy backhand play at shortstop. The 21-year-old rookie joked that he’s competitive and the news “definitely lit a fire under my (expletive).”

He quickly started researching Crawford’s career.

The four Gold Glove awards. The three All-Star appearances. The World Series titles with the Giants in 2012 and 2014. The fourth-place finish in the 2021 NL MVP vote. And, Winn conceded, Crawford’s age.

“Grew up watching the dude for a long time,” Winn said.

Cardinals players were enthusiastic about the signing, and several who spoke with Winn about it were struck by his response. He saw the move as a vote of confidence in him. During a talk with manager Oliver Marmol, Winn expressed how he welcomed competition, “especially in this camp,” his first when he’s expected to seize an everyday job.

As they considered their roster, the Cardinals were eager to give Winn that title of everyday player but not actually lean on him every day. Their only alternative on the roster was Edman, last year’s starter at shortstop who is coming back from wrist surgery. The Cardinals want Edman to focus on center field, and while they’re not yet sure he’ll be recovered in time for opening day, they don’t want to further complicate his spring by counting on him, as they have, to be the starter somewhere new and the backup everywhere else.

“When we talk about our defense being steady, part of it is them playing in the same spots more often than they have,” Marmol said. “This allows us to do a couple of things — not bouncing Tommy back and forth. Masyn plays short, (and) this will be the longest season he’s experienced. So keeping him fresh is important. The only way to do that is to bounce Tommy back and forth. That’s not optimal in our opinion.

“He is the perfect fit for what we’re looking for.”

This past week, as workouts ended and players dispersed from the back fields, Mozeliak was asked by the Post-Dispatch about the depth at shortstop.

“My answer was not clear, concise or definitive,” Mozeliak acknowledged Tuesday. “Now, here we are, and we can be much more definitive.”

That’s because Crawford said yes.

Even though the Cardinals interest and offer came to him swiftly — within the past week — Crawford and his agent had conversations with multiple teams this winter. But as a free agent for the first time in his career, the most important conversations were at home. Any discussion about possibly retiring ended there.

His kids wanted him to keep playing.

One of his five, 8-year-old Braxton, insisted.

“He could probably name off the roster, to be honest. Big baseball fan,” Crawford said. “He knew if I wasn’t playing any more, he wouldn’t go to as many games. I think that was the main reason. I think he also likes watching me play, but he’s going to get to go to more games, too.”

There was another motivating factor for Crawford, one of less influence than his family but more obvious on his baseball card. In 2023, two years removed from a career-best 24 homers and MVP votes, he hit .194 and had a .314 on-base percentage. Injuries to his knee and hamstring limited him to 93 games. He’s been on the injured list at least six times over the past two seasons.

But Year 13 with the Giants was the last year on his contract, so he pushed through some injuries because he has a reputation for being available and consistent. Staying a Giant was also important, and he shared some of that Tuesday when he said he got “the chills, butterflies in my stomach” when he saw the Cardinals end this season in San Francisco.

As a player with an expiring contract, one way to try and continue to play for a team is to play for a team, not finish that time with a team on the IL.

“He was playing through quite a bit last year,” Marmol said. “So we can look at his numbers and go, ‘Wait a second.’ The reality is this is a competitor who is never going to give in, who wants to be out there every day, and who was playing through some real pain. We’re going to get a much better version of him this year.”

Said Crawford: “To come back off a kind of tough year injury-wise and on the field-wise, come back and hope to be as healthy as I can and contribute any way I can.”

The Cardinals believe less asked of Crawford could mean more production.

A left-handed bat, Crawford complements Winn’s right-handed swing. The Cardinals intend for Winn to get the bulk of the playing time but not weighed down during his first full season by all of the playing time. They believe Crawford will thrive by not trying to carry the workload of the everyday starter, and in conversations with the Cardinals, he said clearly he understood the role. He spoke Tuesday of being a mentor. Winn could see how they already mesh and mix. Winn noted how “that dude is unbelievable with the glove, and I think everybody knows that.” He wants to pick up some glovework from Crawford to go with his arm.

The Cardinals believe this is a Winn-win.

They can let Edman focus on center field, they can avoid burning out Winn or lacking an alternative at shortstop, and they can get Braxton Crawford to a few more games. And the conversations with the rookie shortstop did more than assert a confidence in Winn now.

It revealed how high they see his potential.

“I think he’s an uber-talent,” Mozeliak said. “From a defensive standpoint, we’re very confident that he can do the position. It’s like, what kind of offensive production does he have? But we don’t want to have so much pressure on him that it gets in the way of him having success. Now he has a little bit of a lifeline. He has someone who can help him grow.”