Brandon Crawford

Giants Designate Mike Tauchman For Assignment

By Steve Adams | July 29, 2021 at 12:54pm CDT

The Giants announced that they’ve designated outfielder Mike Tauchman for assignment as part of a series of roster moves. San Francisco has also reinstated Brandon Crawford from the 10-day injured list, reinstated Aaron Sanchez from the 60-day injured list (hence the 40-man move) and optioned righty John Brebbia to Triple-A.

Tauchman, 30, came to the Giants in an early-season swap that sent left-handed reliever Wandy Peralta to the Yankees. The former Rockies farmhand had a surprise breakout with the Yankees in 2019 but took a step back in 2020 and has yet to produce much in 2021 with either New York or San Francisco. The Giants gave Tauchman 175 plate appearances, but he managed only a .178/.286/.283 with four homers and four doubles. The Giants valued Tauchman’s glove in center field, and he made a couple of key home run robberies during his time as a Giant.

Ultimately, however, the Giants simply ran out of room for Tauchman on the big league roster — and because he’s out of minor league options, he can’t simply be sent to Triple-A. San Francisco has Mike Yastrzemski, Steven Duggar, Alex Dickerson, Austin Slater, Darin Ruf and LaMonte Wade Jr. as outfield alternatives on the MLB roster at the moment, and the Giants have been tied to some possible outfield upgrades on the trade market as well (e.g. the since-traded Starling Marte and the still-available Kyle Schwarber).

The Giants can trade Tauchman to another club if they can find a partner prior to tomorrow afternoon’s deadline. Otherwise he’ll be placed on outright waivers and made available for all 29 other teams to claim.

NL West Injury Notes: Weathers, Bellinger, Betts, Kershaw, Belt, Crawford, Kelly

By Mark Polishuk | July 24, 2021 at 9:08pm CDT

Padres left-hander Ryan Weathers was activated off the 10-day injured list earlier today, and he marked the occasion with four shutout innings and his first career home run in San Diego’s 3-2 loss to the Marlins. Weathers had to be helped off the field after suffering what looked like an ugly leg injury on July 11, though he ended up only fracturing a small bone in his right ankle. He looked none the worse for wear today, which is a nice boost to a Padres team that has battled through multiple pitching injuries and might yet look to add more arms by the trade deadline.

More injury updates from around the NL West…

Cody Bellinger is day-to-day after leaving Friday’s game due to hamstring tightness, though Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told The Los Angeles Times’ Jeff Miller and other reporters that Bellinger was on the field working out prior to today’s game. When he does return, Bellinger might be utilized at first base in order to reduce his running, Roberts said.
Roberts also had more updates on other injured Dodgers stars, including Mookie Betts’ continuing right hip problems. Betts received a cortisone shot and the plan is for the outfielder to play on Tuesday when the Dodgers begin a series with the Giants. Betts hasn’t played since July 19 and hasn’t started a game since July 17. Clayton Kershaw (placed on the 10-day IL with forearm inflammation on July 7) threw a bullpen session today and is slated for a simulated game on Tuesday.
Brandon Belt may be close to a rehab assignment, as the Giants first baseman ran the bases today as he continues to work his way back from knee inflammation. Belt told reporters (including John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle) that he feels “way better than I thought I was going to feel at this point,” considering that there was some consideration of knee surgery when he initially hurt his knee almost exactly one month ago. Belt intends to wear a protective sleeve over his knee when he returns to the field.
In other positive injury recovery news for the Giants, Brandon Crawford began baseball activity today. Crawford was placed on the 10-day IL with what was considered to be a minor left oblique strain on July 19, and it looks like Crawford will indeed only be out of action for a minimal amount of time.
Diamondbacks catcher Carson Kelly will began a rehab assignment on Thursday and will move to High-A Hillsboro on Sunday, MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert tweets. A fractured wrist sent Kelly to the injured list on June 20, interrupting an outstanding season for the 27-year-old backstop. Kelly has hit .260/.385/.460 with eight home runs over 187 plate appearances.

NL West Notes: Weil, Seager, Sanchez, Crawford

By Mark Polishuk | June 17, 2021 at 11:18pm CDT

The Rockies and assistant GM Jon Weil have mutually decided to part ways, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (Twitter link). Weil has been with the organization since 2005 and in his current role since 2014, and The Denver Post’s Nick Groke writes that Weil is known league-wide as “an astute evaluator,” such as his “instrumental” role in the Rockies’ acquisition of German Marquez in a trade with the Rays back in January 2016.

Weil was considered a candidate for the interim GM role after Jeff Bridich’s resignation back in April, though the club opted to give the job to another long-time employee in VP of scouting Bill Schmidt. The circumstances of Weil’s departure aren’t known, and it could be just as simple as both sides wanting a change after so many years. For a Colorado front office known for its long-term continuity, however, it could perhaps be a hint that the organization is looking ahead to some wider-scale changes after the season, such as the hiring of a new general manager or president of baseball operations from outside the organization.

No Extension Talks Between Brandon Crawford, Giants

By Mark Polishuk | May 24, 2021 at 1:40pm CDT

Star shortstops abound in the 2021-22 free agent market, but of all the shortstops slated to hit the open market this winter, Brandon Crawford leads the way in fWAR. In fact, Crawford’s 1.6 fWAR ranks fourth among all shortstops in baseball, as the longtime Giants fixture is enjoying a career year at age 34. Crawford is hitting .256/.336/.543 with 11 homers in 146 plate appearances, with a 138 wRC+ and 144 OPS+ that would both easily be new personal bests if Crawford can keep it going throughout the 2021 season.

Between his unexpectedly strong bat and his still-solid glove, Crawford has been a big part of the Giants’ success to this point. Now in his 11th season in the Bay Area, Crawford “would definitely love to finish my career here with the Giants,” he told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. However, “there haven’t been any talks or anything like that. I’m focused on winning the game each night and playing my best throughout the years. These things will fall into place.”

It is still early in the season, of course, but there appears to be some stability in Crawford’s underlying metrics. He ranks in the 90th percentile of all hitters in barrel rate (14.9%), and his hard-hit ball numbers have been on the rise over the last two seasons. Crawford’s .353 xwOBA is above average, and not far below his .372 wOBA.

Crawford told Slusser that the Giants’ coaching staff made some changes to his batting stance and his swing, in an attempt to “keep my swing more on plane for a longer time,” Crawford said. “So you’re able to hit the fastball but then if you’re a little bit out front, you’re able to stay on plane with the baseball a little bit longer and still drive an offspeed pitch.” The result is that Crawford has been crushing four-seam fastballs this season, and he’s generally succeeded against all types of pitches except some below-average numbers against curveballs.

Crawford is in the final season of a six-year, $75MM extension signed in November 2015. For a while, it seemed like this contract was becoming an albatross, as he posted below-average offensive numbers from 2017-19 and even his glovework started to drop off in 2018 and 2019. This season, however, the Giants have gotten quite a bit of production from not only Crawford, but all of the other high-priced veterans (Brandon Belt, Evan Longoria, Johnny Cueto, and Buster Posey) who all seemed to be a decline phase, though Crawford and Belt also hit well in 2020.

It creates an interesting dynamic for Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, whose quiet rebuild of the team is already starting to bear fruit a bit early, as the Giants are 28-19 in Zaidi’s third season running the front office. Crawford and Belt are free agents and the Giants hold club options on Posey and Cueto for 2022, so the expectation has been that San Francisco would have a ton of salary coming off the books this winter, and plenty of room to spend on some higher-priced upgrades.

While it’s unlikely that all four veterans are back at Oracle Park next season, it stands to reason that the Giants might have interest in retaining at least one of these familiar faces going forward. Slusser writes that Crawford would “certainly consider a hometown-discount type deal,” which could make sense given that Crawford is both a local product (from nearby Mountain View, California) and because he has been so open about being a Giant for life. While there haven’t been any contract talks thus far, Zaidi and GM Scott Harris could be taking a wait-and-see approach with Crawford’s hot start.

If Crawford is open to a below-market contract, that could certainly help his chances of a new deal with the team. Top prospect Marco Luciano is a looming factor, but Luciano is currently in Single-A and doesn’t turn 20 until September, so he still might be a couple of years away from the big leagues. It’s certainly possible to consider a scenario where the Giants re-sign Crawford for another year or two as a bridge to Luciano as the shortstop of the future.

Giants Notes: La Stella, Yaz, Moronta, Crawford, Solano

By Mark Polishuk | May 2, 2021 at 7:52pm CDT

Tommy La Stella will receive an MRI on his left hamstring and “may be down for a bit” with an injury, Giants manager Gabe Kapler told The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly and other reporters following today’s 7-1 win over the Padres. La Stella pulled up while running home to score on an RBI grounder from Wilmer Flores in the fifth inning, and he was replaced in the field in the bottom half of the inning.

It brought a sour end to one of La Stella’s best days in a Giants uniform, as the second baseman was 2-for-3 (singled and tripled) with two RBI and two runs scored. Since signing a three-year, $18.75MM free agent deal with San Francisco during the offseason, La Stella was scuffling in the early going with his new team, hitting only .235/.297/.353 in his first 75 plate appearances.

Unfortunately, it seems like he’ll be set back with a visit to the 10-day injured list, joining Donovan Solano as another Giants infielder on the mend. A right calf strain shelved Solano back on April 21, and Kapler didn’t yet have a timeline about when the infielder could be back in action.

However, the manager’s pregame chat with reporters (including John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle) did provide more positive updates on a pair of injured Giants, such as another infield name in Brandon Crawford. The shortstop is still day-to-day after suffering a bruised left calf when hit by a pitch on Friday’s game, and though Crawford didn’t play in today’s game, Kapler indicated that Crawford was a possibility to be used as a late-game sub. This would indicate that Crawford might be ready to roll as early as Monday, when the Giants begin a road series against the Rockies in Denver.

Mike Yastrzemski might not be far behind, as Kapler thinks the outfielder might return from the IL after the 10-day minimum. Yastrzemski suffered a mild oblique strain on April 25 but the team was initially hopeful he could avoid the injured list entirely before finally sending him to the IL with a backdated April 26 placement. If “Yaz” is indeed able to return as soon as possible, he would be eligible for the Giants’ May 7 game against the Padres.

The news isn’t as good for Reyes Moronta, who is undergoing examination after feeling forearm tightness on Saturday. Moronta was warming up as part of his rehab from a right flexor strain, and after missing the entire 2020 season due to shoulder surgery, Moronta pitched in only four games in 2021 before being sidelined once more. Moronta has shown some promise when he has been able to pitch, posting a 2.65 ERA and 29.5% strikeout rate over 132 1/3 innings out of San Francisco’s bullpen since the start of the 2017 season.

Injury Notes: Crawford, Longoria, Rendon, Nola, Giolito

By Mark Polishuk and Anthony Franco | April 25, 2021 at 11:19am CDT

The Giants made Brandon Crawford a late scratch from yesterday’s lineup due to quad tightness. Evan Longoria also missed his second consecutive game with hamstring tightness, after the same issue forced him to make an early exit from last Thursday’s game. To add some extra infield help, the Giants called up Jason Vosler from the alternate training site prior to yesterday’s game (reliever Jarlin Garcia was placed on the 10-day IL with a left groin strain).

San Francisco has more infield depth than most clubs, though even the Giants’ roster has been stressed with Crawford and Longoria both hurting and Donovan Solano already on the injured list recovering from a calf strain. Mauricio Dubon is the top choice to fill in at shortstop if Crawford has to miss any more time, while Wilmer Flores has been handling third base in Longoria’s absence. It also creates an opportunity for Vosler, who made his MLB debut last night. The 27-year-old was a 16th-round pick for the Cubs back in 2014, and Vosler has spent his minor league career in the Cubs and Padres farm systems, also spending time at San Diego’s alternate training site in 2020.

The latest on some other injury situations from around baseball…

Anthony Rendon could return to the Angels’ lineup tomorrow or Tuesday, manager Joe Maddon told The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya and other reporters. Rendon hit the 10-day IL due to a left groin strain back on April 12, so the third baseman will likely end up missing only slightly more than the 10-day minimum. Anaheim’s already-strong offense will be even more dangerous with the addition of a former All-Star in Rendon, who is entering his second season with the team.
Austin Nola could return to the Padres lineup next week, manager Jayce Tingler told reporters (including Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune). Nola has been out since mid-March after fracturing his left middle finger in Spring Training, though Nola is playing games at the Padres’ alternate training site. San Diego has relied upon Victor Caratini and top prospect Luis Campusano to handle catching duties in Nola’s absence, though neither Caratini or Campusano have been very productive at the plate.
Michael Kopech will start for the White Sox today rather than originally-scheduled starter Lucas Giolito, who told reporters (including Vinnie Duber of NBC Sports Chicago) he has been “pushed back a couple of days” due to a cut on the middle finger of his throwing hand. As Giolito explained in self-deprecating fashion, he suffered the minor injury because “I thought that a glass water bottle I had was twist-off, and it wasn’t twist-off.” The team decided to hold Giolito out of today’s start just to be cautious, and the right-hander expects to pitch Tuesday when the White Sox open a series against the Tigers.

West Notes: Solano, Crawford, Rendon, Fiers, Pena

By Connor Byrne and Anthony Franco | April 21, 2021 at 8:30pm CDT

Giants second baseman Donovan Solano exited their game against the Phillies on Wednesday with a right calf strain, manager Gabe Kapler announced (Twitter links via Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). Kapler admitted that the injury could lead to an IL stint for Solano, who’s off to a .300/.333/.380 start in 54 plate appearances this year. Should he land on the shelf, Tommy La Stella, Mauricio Dubon and Wilmer Flores would be candidates to fill in at the keystone. Brandon Crawford was also removed from this afternoon’s game early, but it seems his issue isn’t as severe. The longtime San Francisco shortstop felt some tightness in his side and was pulled for precautionary reasons, Kapler said (via Andrew Baggarly of the Athletic).

Quick Hits: LeMahieu, Angels, Dombrowski, Pino, Crawford

By Mark Polishuk | October 22, 2020 at 11:21pm CDT

Don’t count on a reunion between DJ LeMahieu and the Rockies. Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post recently contacted “those close to LeMahieu” to gauge the chances of the free agent returning to his former team, and “was told that while [LeMahieu is] keeping his options open, he doesn’t see the Rockies as a good fit for him.” LeMahieu spent seven seasons with the Rox from 2012-18, a stretch that saw him make three All-Star appearances, win two Gold Gloves, and capture the 2016 NL batting title.

After leaving Coors Field to sign with the Yankees in the 2018-19 offseason, however, LeMahieu hit another level, posting MVP-type numbers over his two seasons in the Bronx. It’s certainly possible that LeMahieu simply remains in New York, though several teams are bound to inquire about his services — that is to say, teams with more available payroll and perhaps closer to immediate contention than the Rockies.

As we await tomorrow’s Game 3 of the World Series, some more from around the baseball world…

Multiple reports linked Dave Dombrowski was a favorite to take over the Angels’ front office, though after almost a month, there hasn’t been much new information on that front. In fact, in an appearance on Jon Heyman’s Big Time Baseball podcast (audio link), USA Today’s Bob Nightengale believes Dombrowski will “absolutely not” end up in Anaheim. Both Heyman and Nightengale think Dombrowski might remain in Nashville, where he is part of a group vying to bring an expansion team to the Music City, with Nightengale opining that the Phillies could also potentially be a fit for Dombrowski as a win-now team. As for the Angels’ job, Nightengale thinks their search is “wide open“at this point. Earlier reports have suggested that the Angels are just beginning their search, and Nightengale thinks a new front office boss might not be in place until close to Thanksgiving.
16-year-old Cuban outfielder Luis Pino worked out for scouts this week in the Dominican Republic, and ESPN.com’s Enrique Rojas (Spanish language link) reports that the Athletics and Rays are the favorites to land Pino when the international signing window opens on January 15. The Giants, Cubs, White Sox, Red Sox and Padres have also shown interest in Pino, who seems likely to command a bonus of $1MM or more.
Longtime Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford enjoyed one of his best seasons in 2020, rebounding from a down year both offensively and defensively in 2019. As NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic notes, Crawford’s return to form solidified the Giants’ shortstop situation, and the team can now be more confident that Crawford can still be a productive player as he heads into his age-34 campaign. 2021 will also be the final year of Crawford’s contract with San Francisco, however, and the Giants have a star shortstop prospect in Marco Luciano coming down the pipeline. Luciano could potentially be ready for a regular role by 2022, so it remains to be seen if Crawford will only be a bridge to Luciano or if the veteran could potentially still land another deal to stay in the orange and black.

NL Notes: Crawford, Kim, Mikolas, Cecil, Johnson

By Mark Polishuk | April 5, 2020 at 11:31am CDT

Brandon Crawford gave the San Francisco Chronicle’s John Shea a rundown of his daily routine, as the Giants shortstop is busy balancing his time with his wife and four young children alongside workouts and engaging in whatever baseball activities he can manage from his house. On this particular day, for example, Crawford and the Giants’ team yoga instructor met via video conferencing for a session “based on baseball mobility and movements that we need,” Crawford said.

Some more from the National League…

While Crawford is one of many players staying at home with his family during the shutdown, newly-signed Cardinals left-hander Kwang-hyun Kim is in St. Louis while his family is in South Korea. Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters (including MLB.com’s Anne Rogers) that Kim could potentially return to Korea while Major League Baseball is on hiatus. “I can only imagine the mental challenge [Kim is] under with his wife and children back in South Korea, trying to adapt to a new country, a new team, and then have all this thrust upon him,” Mozeliak said. “So we’re trying to navigate that as best we can, but…clearly this has not been easy for him, and I think all of us could understand why.”
From that same teleconference earlier this week, Mozeliak also provided updates on some injured Cardinals players. Miles Mikolas continues to make progress after suffering a flexor tendon strain in February and receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection, as Mikolas will soon throw a bullpen session and is currently throwing from 120 feet. Brett Cecil recently took time off from his hamstring injury rehab for personal reasons, but Mozeliak said Cecil will resume the process next week. Cecil suffered what manager Mike Shildt described as a “fairly significant” right hamstring strain in mid-March, and while no specific timeline was put in place, it was thought that Cecil was facing “multiple weeks of treatment.”
After pitching in Japan in 2019, Pierce Johnson signed a two-year, $5MM deal with the Padres this offseason to mark his return to North American baseball. As Johnson told Fangraphs’ David Laurila, “a few other teams kicked the tires” on the right-hander’s availability, and he also came “really close to taking” an offer to remain with the Hanshin Tigers. Ultimately, Johnson chose the Padres and MLB in order to bring his family back closer to home. Johnson posted only a 5.44 ERA over his 44 2/3 career Major League innings with the Cubs and Giants in 2017-18, though his season in Nippon Professional Baseball greatly elevated his stock, as the righty posted a 1.38 ERA, 14.0 K/9, and 7.00 K/BB rate over 58 2/3 relief innings for the Tigers.

10 Veterans Clear Revocable Waivers

By Connor Byrne | August 6, 2017 at 2:41pm CDT

A slew of household names cleared revocable waivers recently, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag in a pair of articles. The list consists of Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper, Reds first baseman Joey Votto, Tigers left fielder Justin Upton, Mariners right-hander Felix Hernandez, Orioles first baseman Chris Davis, Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford and four Mets – outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, second baseman Neil Walker and reliever AJ Ramos. All of these players are now eligible for August trades.

It’s obvious that Harper, one of the game’s preeminent superstars, isn’t going anywhere. As Heyman notes, no team bothered to claim Harper because they realized putting the 24-year-old through waivers was merely a procedural maneuver by first-place Washington.

Votto, 33, won’t be on the move, either, as he’s a Cincinnati institution who has a full no-trade clause and a guaranteed $171MM coming his way through 2024.

Hernandez also enjoys full no-trade rights, though he hasn’t aged nearly as well as Votto. The former ace’s performance has declined drastically over the past couple years, making his contract a burden to the Mariners. The 31-year-old is on a $26MM salary this season and next, and he’s due another $27MM in 2019. Further hampering his trade value, King Felix is on the disabled list with right biceps tendinitis.

Davis, meanwhile, has a partial no-trade clause, and it’s difficult to imagine any team showing interest in the once-elite offensive force. The 31-year-old is amid his second straight mediocre season since re-signing in Baltimore on a seven-year, $161MM contract.

Upton, 29, is having an outstanding season, but he comes with a pricey salary ($22.13MM through 2021), and both his 20-team no-trade rights and opt-out clause complicate matters. Upton could vacate the remaining four years and $88MM-plus left on his deal after this season, but there’s a strong likelihood he’ll ride out the remainder of the contract, Heyman suggests. Regardless, there hasn’t been any real trade interest in Upton to this point, according to Heyman.

With his $8MM salary this season, Crawford is eminently affordable now, but he’s due $60MM from 2018-21 and is having a dreadful year offensively. While Crawford remains a great defender, teams might be leery of taking on a highly paid 30-year-old (31 in January) whose offensive production has suddenly cratered. He’s another member of the full no-trade clause club, too, further decreasing the chances of a deal.

As for the Mets, we now know of six of their veterans who have passed through waivers, with outfielders Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson having done so earlier this week. The best of the bunch is Cespedes, whom the Mets re-signed to a four-year, $110MM contract in the offseason. Even if the Mets wanted to deal Cespedes, the 31-year-old has a full NTC that would enable him to block any move.

Walker has also dealt with hamstring issues – a partial tear that sidelined the 31-year-old from mid-June until last week. The soon-to-be free agent has gone just 3 of 26 at the plate since his return, but he still comes with a quality track record and is on pace for another decent offensive season (.254/.332/.431 in 281 plate appearances). It’s unclear, though, whether there will be any teams clamoring for the switch-hitting Walker, who’s has roughly $6MM of his $17.2MM salary remaining through season’s end, given a lack of demand for second basemen.

Cabrera, 31, drew pre-trade deadline interest from the Red Sox and Indians, but they’ve patched up their infield situations since then. Moreover, the Mets are reportedly giving strong consideration to going forward with Cabrera next year, when he’s owed either a reasonable salary ($8.5MM) or a $2MM buyout.

Ramos just joined the Mets last week in a trade with the National League East rival Marlins. Several teams were interested in acquiring the 32-year-old leading up to July 31, though some of those clubs went on to make other deals for relievers after he went to the Mets. Plus, the Mets may favor keeping Ramos in hopes of contending in 2018. He’s owed around $2MM through the end of this season and has one more year of arbitration eligibility.

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