By CJ Carlson
The San Francisco Giants have watched Brandon Crawford man their shortstop position for 16 long years. However, Crawford just ended that tenure this past offseason, joining the St. Louis Cardinals and breaking apart that streak. When asked about it, he made sure to point the finger directly at the team president of the Giants.
Brandon Crawford Spent A Career In San Francisco
Crawford had this to say, “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. But the bottom line is I wanted to come back to the Giants. That was obviously the ideal situation for me.” Crawford is 37-years old now and has helped the team win two World Series titles in his professional career.
He earned four Gold Glove honors, a Silver Slugger award, and three All-Star nods. In 2021, he was fourth in National League MVP voting with 24 homers, 90 RBIs, 79 runs scored, an OPS of .895, and batting averages of .298/.373/,522.
The last two seasons haven’t really been that great though. His averages have fallen down to .231/.308/.344 and .194/.273/.314. A recent report claims that Crawford met with the team’s president, Farhan Zaidi, back in November to discuss the future. What’s worth noting is that Crawford wasn’t looking to remain a starter if the team didn’t feel the same way about him.
He was perfectly willing to accept a mentorship role and help the team in other ways. He said, “I had no playing time expectations. Just help out and be a veteran mentor type for Luciano, Casey Schmitt, Fitzgerald, continue being that guy for Thairo, whoever else I could help out in that capacity. That’s what I came to him with.”
San Francisco Giants Apparently Didn’t Agree With His Vision
Crawford later clarified in the report that he didn’t like the response that Zaidi gave him when he was approached with the mentorship idea. According to the report, Zaidi’s reaction was “tepid to the point that he wondered whether it was personal.” Of course, that wasn’t what forced Crawford’s hand in the free agency process. The final straw came when the Cardinals submitted their contract offer to him.
Crawford’s agent was well-aware that his client wanted to remain with the Giants, so he reached back out to Zaidi to try and make something happen. Crawford was apparently told that he had to, “earn the last spot on the roster like anyone else could as a non-roster invite.” From there, there was no going back in Crawford’s mind.
Since he’s openly come out and pointed the finger at Zaidi for his departure, the team’s president has come out in defense of himself. He said, “He’s been one of our most popular and important players and we negotiated a two-year extension with him which everyone was really happy with. So, any notion there was a concern about coexistence just doesn’t match the reality that we’ve both been here for the last five seasons, and we’ve had some really great moments.
He’s been an important member of this team and a real leader in the clubhouse as well.” While Zaidi makes it clear that he doesn’t agree with everything Crawford said, it does certainly feel like there was truth in what the former All-Star was saying.
Long-Term Partnership Ends In Drama
At this point, it’s incredibly difficult to see the Giants without Crawford on the roster, and disappointing for fans that watched him form a phenomenal core that included Madison Bumgarner and MVP catcher Buster Posey. Just the simple fact that he had started at shortstop for the Giants on Opening Day for 12 straight years is a testament to what they were able to accomplish there. Only time will tell if the Giants regret this decision, or if Crawford will ever look at San Francisco the same way following this alleged fiasco with management.
