Mike Moustakas To Retire
The Royals announced that they will have a ceremony on May 31st to honor Mike Moustakas as he retires as a Royal. Presumably, he will sign a ceremonial one-day contract to retire with the club with whom he spent most of his career.
Moustakas, now 36, was selected second overall in the 2007 draft. Taken out of Chatsworth High School, Moustakas was one of several high-profile draft picks that the Royals made as part of an aggressive rebuild. In an era prior to the draft lottery, the Royals had nine straight losing seasons from 2004 to 2012, with at least 100 losses in the first three of those seasons. That allowed them to have an desirable draft position for a long stretch of time, getting guys like Alex Gordon, Eric Hosmer, Moustakas and others in that span.
The hope was that this aggressive rebuild would allow them to build a stockpile of young talent that could eventually slingshot them to future success. Since Moustakas was drafted as an 18-year-old, it took him a few years to get to the majors, debuting in 2011.
He didn’t hit the ground running. By the end of the 2014 campaign, Moustakas had stepped to the plate 1,993 times at the club’s regular third baseman. However, he had hit just .236/.290/.379 in that time for a wRC+ of 82. Though it was taking “Moose” some time to fully acclimate to big league pitching, the club’s fortunes had turned around as hoped. They had made it to the playoffs in 2014 and progressed all the way to the World Series, though they lost a seventh-game heartbreaker to the Giants. Moustakas clubbed five homers in 15 games during that postseason run.
From there, he did find sustained success. Moustakas hit 22 home runs in 2015 and slashed .284/.348/.470 for a wRC+ of 123, easily his best offensive performance to that point. The Royals returned to the postseason and got the job done this time. Moustakas only hit .215/.257/.277 in the 2015 playoffs but the Royals made it back to the World Series, this time defeating the Mets in five games.
Over 2016 and 2017, Moustakas continued to perform as a solid big leaguer. He hit a combined .267/.312/.517 over those two seasons, which translated to a 113 wRC+, though the Royals fell from their heights. They were exactly .500 in 2016 and then finished 80-82 the following year.
Moustakas reached free agency going into 2018 and rejected a $17.4MM qualifying offer with the expectation of finding a robust market. MLBTR predicted he could secure a five-year, $85MM deal that winter. Unfortunately, he didn’t find the interest he was hoping for and lingered on the market unsigned into March. He and the Royals eventually reunited on a one-year, $6.5MM deal, far less than the QO he turned down.
In 2018, he had another solid but not outstanding season, split with the Brewers after a midseason trade. He hit .251/.315/.459 between the two clubs for a 105 wRC+. MLBTR made a far more modest prediction of $16MM over two years going into the next offseason. He returned to the Brewers on a one-year deal but with a slightly better average annual value of $10MM. Milwaukee planned to move Moustakas from third base to second base in deference to Travis Shaw.
With the Brewers that year, his second base defense was graded as close to average, adding some nice versatility to his profile. He hit 35 home runs that year, though his batting average and on-base abilities continued to be less impressive. His .254/.329/.516 batting line translated to a 113 wRC+. MLBTR felt he still had enough juice to get a two-year, $20MM deal but the new position seemed to unlock an extra gear for his earning power. The Reds, who had Joey Votto at first base and Eugenio Suárez at the corners, gave Moustakas a four-year, $64MM deal with the plan to install him at the keystone.
In the shortened 2020 season, Moustakas had another decent campaign. He hit eight home runs and slashed .230/.331/.468 for a wRC+ of 105. That helped the Reds to make the playoffs, their only postseason appearance of the past decade, but they were quickly dispatched without scoring a run in a two-game sweep at the hands of Atlanta.
His production tailed off from there and never really recovered. He put up a line of .227/.291/.372 from 2021 onwards as various injuries limited his ability to take the field. He played less than 80 games in both 2021 and 2022, getting designated for assignment after the latter of those two seasons. He was released and signed with the Rockies. He got into 47 games with them and seemed to be bouncing back, hitting .270/.360/.435, before getting flipped to the Angels. But he then hit just .236/.256/.371 in 65 games for the Halos. Going into 2024, he signed a minor league deal with the White Sox but hit .195/.283/.317 during the spring and was released at the end of camp.
Though he didn’t start or end his career with a bang, he had a strong run for a few years as an above-average player. Overall, he got into 1,427 major league games and stepped to the plate 5,577 times. He hit .247/.307/.431 for a 96 wRC+ and generated 15.1 wins above replacement, per the calculations of FanGraphs. He hit 215 home runs, scored 595 times and drove in 683. From 2015 to 2020, he slashed .262/.326/.490 for a 113 wRC+ and tallied 12.2 fWAR. He made three All-Star clubs in there and won a World Series ring. We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Moustakas on his career and wish him the best in whatever comes next.
Dodgers Hire Zach Reks As Minor League Hitting Coach
The Dodgers announced their minor league coaching staffs this afternoon. Zach Reks, who played last year in Double-A with the Padres, has been hired as a hitting coach with L.A.’s Arizona Complex League affiliate.
It appears he’s retiring as a player at age 31. Reks played in the big leagues with the Dodgers and Rangers between 2021-22. He hit .205/.205/.227 in 22 games. The lefty-hitting outfielder appeared with the Lotte Giants in the Korea Baseball Organization in 2023. Reks returned to affiliated ball on a minor league contract with San Diego last offseason. He slumped to a .127 batting average in 64 Double-A contests.
While that’s a tough end to his playing days, Reks was a good minor league hitter. He posted a .276/.372/.459 line in nearly 1800 minor league plate appearances. That includes a .290/.388/.537 slash over 902 trips to the plate in Triple-A. MLBTR congratulates Reks on reaching the big leagues and wishes him the best in his coaching career.
Richard Bleier Announces Retirement
Left-hander Richard Bleier announced his retirement earlier this week, as the 37-year-old Bleier wrote on his Instagram page that he is hanging up his cleats after eight Major League seasons.
“It’s been an incredible journey with plenty of highs and lows that ranged from spending six years in Double A to pitching in the playoffs with the Marlins, the team I grew up watching,” Bleier wrote. “Looking back on my career I don’t think I would have done anything differently. I’m incredibly proud of what I accomplished. I tried to go into every day remembering my childhood memories of interactions with players and recalling how special those times were for me at such an impressionable age. I hope I also positively impacted fans throughout the country and paid forward what was shown to me.”
The Miami Beach native began his pro career as a sixth-round pick for the Rangers back in the 2008 draft, though he didn’t make his MLB debut until just after his 29th birthday, breaking into the Show as a member of the Yankees in 2016. That first season in the Bronx and his 2023 season with the Red Sox were sandwiched around longer runs with the Baltimore and Miami, in almost equal fashion — Bleier appeared in 143 games with the Orioles from 2017-20 and then 142 games with his hometown Marlins from 2020 until the end of the 2022 season.
Besides a pair of pseudo-starts working as an opener, Bleier came out of the bullpen for almost all of his 335 career games in the majors, and delivered a very solid 3.27 ERA over 330 1/3 innings. This success was powered by outstanding control (3.9% career walk rate) and a knack for keeping the ball on the ground, as Bleier had a 60.9% grounder rate. Among all pitchers with at least 300 innings pitched between the 2016-23 seasons, only T.J. McFarland and Framber Valdez had a better grounder rate.
Like most groundball specialists, Bleier’s success was somewhat dependent on batted-ball luck, though he finished his career with roughly average .298 BABIP. The bigger issue was a lack of missed bats (13.6% strikeout rate) and velocity, which kept Bleier in something of a specialist role despite his good bottom-line numbers. Bleier also did a very good job of avoiding the long ball, but that changed in his final MLB season, when he allowed five homers in 30 2/3 innings with the Red Sox en route to a 5.28 ERA in 2023. Boston released Bleier in August of that season, and subsequent minor league deals with the Cubs and Nationals didn’t result in a return to the Show.
We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Bleier on a fine career, and we wish him all the best in his post-playing endeavors.
Pirates Hire Daniel Vogelbach As Special Assistant
The Pirates announced Wednesday that they’ve hired Daniel Vogelbach as a special assistant to their hitting department (relayed by Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). While there’d been no word that the 32-year-old had ended his playing career, it seems he’s moving on to his post-playing days.
Vogelbach played parts of nine seasons in the majors. The lefty-hitting first baseman/designated hitter earned an All-Star nod with the Mariners amidst a 30-homer showing in 2019. That was his best full season until 2022. Vogelbach signed a one-year free agent deal with Pittsburgh that came with a modest $1MM base salary. It was a shrewd pickup, as he hit .228/.338/.430 over 75 games. The Bucs moved him early in trade season in a swap for reliever Colin Holderman, who projects as one of their better leverage arms this season.
After landing in Queens, Vogelbach hit .255/.393/.436 for the stretch run. He played well enough for New York to bring him back for the ’23 season, though his numbers dropped to a pedestrian .233/.339/.404 slash. Vogelbach appeared in 31 games early last year for the Blue Jays in what appears to be his final major league action.
If he is officially retiring, he’ll do so with a .219/.340/.405 batting line over 602 big league contests. Vogelbach hit 81 homers and drove in 246 runs while suiting up for five teams. He clearly made a strong impression on the Pittsburgh front office and coaching staff during his few months there as a player. MLBTR sends our best wishes to Vogelbach on the next stage of his career.
Tyler Cyr Announces Retirement
Former big league right-hander Tyler Cyr has informed MLB Trade Rumors that he has decided to retire. “After much reflection, I am officially announcing my retirement from Major League Baseball,” Cyr said in his announcement. “This decision is not one I take lightly, and it comes with a heavy heart & excitement for what’s to come. While my passion for the game and my love for the competition will never fade, the reality of a shoulder injury I sustained in 2023 with the Dodgers has made it impossible for me to fully recover and continue playing at the level I expect of myself.
I want to extend my deepest gratitude to my family, coaches, teammates, and, of course, the fans who have supported me throughout my journey. I am so incredibly thankful for the opportunities I’ve had and the memories I’ll carry with me forever. Baseball has given me everything, from the thrill of competition to lifelong friendships, and I will always cherish the game.
Even though my time on the field has come to an end, I’m excited for what lies ahead. My love for baseball is unwavering, and I believe I have so much more to offer in the future—whether it’s through coaching, mentoring, or contributing to the game in new ways. The lessons I’ve learned and the passion I’ve gained over the years will never go away, and I’m excited to stay connected to the game I love.
Thank you all for believing in me, for cheering me on, and for allowing me to live out my dream. This isn’t goodbye—it’s simply a new chapter. I’ll always be part of the baseball family, and my love for the game will never end.”
Cyr, now 31, began his professional career in 2015 when the Giants selected him in the 10th round out of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He showed enough promise in his first minor league games that Baseball America ranked him the #26 prospect in the system going into 2016. He continued climbing the minor league ladder but still hadn’t gotten a major league chance by the end of the 2021 season and elected free agency.
That led to a minor league deal with the Phillies, which allowed him to get to the show when the Phils selected his contract on August 21 of 2022. He got a rude greeting to start his big league career. He was sent to the mound with two outs in the top of the 9th, with the Phils trailing the Mets 9-8 after David Robertson had blown a save. Brandon Nimmo then hit a solo home run off Cyr to make it 10-8. That was followed by a Starling Marte double before Cyr got Francisco Lindor to pop out and end the inning. The Phills added a run in the bottom of the ninth but lost 10-9.
Cyr was designated for assignment the next day and claimed by the Athletics a few days later. He tossed 13 innings for them down the stretch, allowing three earned runs. After getting bumped off the roster by the A’s, he landed a minor league deal with the Dodgers going into 2023. He was selected to their big league roster in May and made two appearances before landing on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement. He was transferred to the 60-day IL a few days later and outrighted off the roster at season’s end. As he referenced in his statement, he never fully recovered from that injury. He didn’t sign anywhere for 2024 and has now decided to hang up his spikes.
He retires with a 2.40 ERA in 15 big league innings. He recorded 18 strikeouts and five walks. He got one win with the A’s and was never tagged with a loss, allowing him to go out with a perfect 1-0 record in the majors. Though his career was brief, he was in the show long enough to strike out stars like Mike Trout, Nolan Arenado and Shohei Ohtani (twice). He tossed 301 2/3 innings over his several years in the minors with a 3.16 ERA, 28% strikeout rate, 11.7% walk rate and grounders on more than half the balls in play he allowed.
In his correspondence, Cyr added that he will be graduating from Embry-Riddle in May with a degree in homeland security and a minor in management. He’s open to a specialty role in baseball but also non-baseball opportunities. We at MLBTR thank him for reaching out with this news and wish him the best on whatever comes next.
Andrew Knapp Announces Retirement
Longtime major league catcher Andrew Knapp announced his retirement as a player on his Instagram page. “I completely dedicated my life to the game, and the game blessed me with so much,” he said. “Baseball has given me relationships that I will have for the rest of my life. It has taught be how to fail and how to persevere. It has taught me how to be confident but humble. It has taught me that people will remember you more because of what kind of person you are rather than what kind of player you were.” He then goes on to thank the many people that helped him along the way, including his agent, his teammates and particularly his family members.
Knapp, now 33, was once a notable prospect. The son of minor leaguer Mike Knapp, the younger Knapp showed enough promise at a young age to get drafted by the Athletics out of high school, selected in the 41st round in 2010. But Knapp decided to attend Berkeley instead, becoming a full-time catcher who hit from both sides of the plate. That led to the Phillies taking him in the second round of the 2013 draft and signing Knapp with a bonus of just over $1MM.
His development was slowed somewhat by Tommy John surgery, which he required late in 2013, but he still put up strong offensive numbers. He slashed .280/.355/.435 in 1,173 minor league plate appearances from 2013 to 2015, production that led to a wRC+ of 132. That offense, especially as a switch-hitter, gave Knapp some prospect helium. Going into 2016, Baseball America gave him a spot at the back of their top 100, putting him at #96.
Unfortunately, his major league offense never quite matched his production on the farm. He showed a bit of potential in his 2017 debut, producing a line of .257/.368/.368. His 27.5% strikeout rate was a bit high but he also drew walks at a strong clip of 15.2%. The overall production led to a wRC+ of 94, a bit below average overall but decent for a catcher.
He couldn’t maintain that level of performance, however. He got into at least 33 games for the Phils in five straight seasons from 2017 to 2021 but produced a combined line of .214/.314/.322 over that time, leading to a 72 wRC+. His 11.9% walk rate was a solid mark but his 31.7% strikeout rate was quite high. That includes a huge .278/.404/.444 showing in 2020, though that was a small sample of 89 plate appearances and he crashed back to earth with a .152/.215/.214 line in 2021.
Knapp’s glovework was never especially well regarded, with outlets like Baseball Prospectus and Statcast giving him negative grades for his framing, blocking and throwing. As a prospect, it was hoped that his offense could compensate for that, though it didn’t quite come to pass.
The Phils decided to move on after that rough showing from Knapp in 2021, outrighting him off the roster, which kicked off the journeyman phase of his career. He signed a minor league deal with the Reds going into 2022 but didn’t make the club out of camp. That led to him joining the Pirates, Mariners and Giants, though he only got into 16 major league games between those three teams that year. In 2023, minor league deals with the Tigers and Astros didn’t lead back to the big leagues. In 2024, he was with the Rangers on a minor league through the end of June. After being released, he got a major league deal with the Giants, but he was designated for assignment less than a week later after getting into three games. He was outrighted off the roster and elected free agency at season’s end.
Knapp has now decided to hang up his spikes and move onto the next phase of his life. His retirement statement didn’t lay out his career plans, though he has previously expressed a desire to become a manager someday, so perhaps he could start making moves on that trajectory now. He retires with 158 hits in 756 at-bats, including 31 doubles, four triples and 13 home runs. He scored 83 runs and drove in 66. We at MLBTR congratulate Knapp on carving out a major league career and wish him the best on whatever comes next.
Kevin Plawecki Announces Retirement, Joins Padres MiLB Coaching Staff
Eight-year MLB veteran Kevin Plawecki announced his retirement on social media today. Plawecki’s announcement comes shortly after the Padres revealed their minor league coaching staff for 2025, where Plawecki is listed as an instructor for the club’s Arizona Complex League team.
“As I close the chapter on a playing career I’m excited for what the future holds. I still know I have a lot to give this game which has blessed me with so much,” Plawecki said in his announcement. “I look forward to joining the Padres as a coach in minor league player development this upcoming season. Thank you for all the love and support over the years! The best is yet to come! See y’all at a stadium near you!”
The 33-year-old was selected 35th overall by the Mets back in 2012 and made his big league debut with the club during the 2015 season. Plawecki was a consensus top-100 prospect at the time of his debut but struggled to hit at the major league level, with a .211/.287/.285 slash line in 121 games between the 2015 and ’16 campaigns. His offense took a step forward over the next two campaigns, though he remained a part-time player as he slashed .225/.330/.379 with a roughly league average 96 wRC+. Those four partial seasons concluded Plawecki’s time with the Mets, as he was traded to Cleveland prior to the 2019 season in a swap that saw New York acquire Walker Lockett and Sam Haggerty. Unfortunately for Plawecki, he struggled to hit with his new club and was non-tendered during the 2019-20 offseason.
That led to Plawecki signing with the Red Sox prior to the 2020 season, which quickly proved to be the most successful year of his career. While the catcher was shelved by a hamstring strain and a COVID-19 diagnosis that limited him to just 24 games during the shortened 60-game campaign, Plawecki hit quite well when he was healthy enough to take the field. The then-29-year-old posted a strong .341/.393/.463 slash line in 89 trips to the plate for the club that year as they made it all the way to the ALCS. Plawecki remained with the Red Sox for two additional seasons afterwards as a back-up to Christian Vázquez. He posted solid results in 2021 but took a step back in 2022, hitting just .217/.287/.287 in 60 games before being designated for assignment late in the year.
Plawecki was picked up by the Rangers late in the 2022 season and appeared in three games for the club, which ultimately proved to be the final three games of his big league career. The veteran bounced between the Rangers, Nationals, and Padres organizations on minor league deals in 2023 before spending the entire 2024 season in the Padres’ minor league system but never made it back to the majors after 2022. He walks away from his playing days a career .235/.313/.342 hitter across 449 MLB games, with 298 hits (including 22 homers) on his big league resume.
We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Plawecki on a fine career and wish him all the best as he begins the next chapter of his life as a coach in the Padres organization.
Ehire Adrianza Announces Retirement
Veteran utilityman Ehire Adrianza has decided to retire after 12 Major League seasons. The 35-year-old Adrianza made the official announcement on his Instagram page, thanking the many people who contributed to his success.
“This journey has been incredibly challenging, filled with ups and downs, but every step along the way has been a blessing that I cherish immensely,” Adrianza said. “Since my childhood, I dreamed of the possibility of winning a World Series, a goal that once seemed so distant and almost unattainable. However, thanks to my effort, dedication, and the unwavering support of each one of you, that dream has become a reality. I still find it hard to believe that I have had the honor of playing more than a decade in the Major Leagues. I never imagined I would achieve so much, and it’s astonishing to reflect on this experience.”
Adrianza has been part of six different organizations over his career, and he saw big league action in the form of 624 games with the Giants, Twins, Nationals, Braves, and Angels from 2013-24. His long career saw Adrianza play roles on World Series-winning teams in San Francisco (in 2014) and Atlanta (2021), with Adrianza getting 10 pinch-hit at-bats during the Braves’ postseason run.
Hitting .237/.307/.352 in 1578 career plate appearances, Adrianza was able to consistently latch onto MLB rosters due to his ability to play almost anywhere on the diamond. He made at least 16 career starts at six different positions (all four infield positions plus the two corner outfield slots) while also making a few cameos as a center fielder and pitcher. The Outs Above Average and UZR/150 metrics gave Adrianza plus grades over his career at shortstop and third base, his two most frequent positions.
Adrianza was usually a part-timer or bench player who was only pressed into more regular duty in the event of an injury, though this happened often enough that he was a useful player to have on hand. His 114 games with Minnesota in 2018 was a career high, followed by his 109 games with the Braves in 2021. In the latter season, his ability to come off the bench and make the odd spot start made him a valuable member of an Atlanta team that had to overcome some significant injuries on its way to the championship.
We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Adrianza on a fine career, and we wish him all the best in the next phase of his life.
Wil Myers Ends Playing Career
Wil Myers has decided to call it a career after 11 big league seasons, the longtime Padres first baseman/outfielder told MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell. While Myers stressed that he wouldn’t ever “officially” retire, he made his decision in June 2023 after he’d been released by the Reds and was dealing with some shoulder problems.
“I had a great career. I loved what I did. I made a lot of great friends. I have no regrets,” Myers said. “If you had told me the day I was drafted that this would be your career, I would’ve taken it in a heartbeat. I loved what I did, and now it’s just kind of onto the next chapter of life.”
Myers, who just recently turned 34, will hang up his glove after an even 1100 career games with the Rays, Padres, and Reds from 2013-23. Myers hit .252/.326/.437 with 156 home runs over 4290 plate appearances, good for a 107 wRC+ during his time in the Show. He spent the majority of his time in the field as a first baseman and right fielder, but also with a big chunk of time at the other two outfield positions and some time at third base (primarily in 2018, when the Padres had several first base/outfield types they were trying to fit into the lineup).
A third-round pick for the Royals in the 2009 draft, Myers quickly became one of baseball’s most highly-touted prospects, and made headlines before his MLB career even began due to his involvement in a blockbuster trade. In December 2012, the Royals sent Myers, Jake Odorizzi, Mike Montgomery, and third-base prospect Patrick Leonard to Tampa Bay in exchange for James Shields, Wade Davis, and Elliot Johnson. Kansas City’s farm system was viewed as deep enough that it could afford to move even a top prospect like Myers in exchange for win-now help, and the decision paid off — K.C. won the AL pennant in both 2014 and 2015, and Davis was one of the relief aces of the Royals’ 2015 World Series title team.
For the Rays, the deal paid some immediate dividends, as Myers won AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2013 on the strength of 13 homers and a .293/.354/.478 slash line over 373 plate appearances. However, Myers then battled wrist injuries and the sophomore slump in 2014, leading to his involvement in an even bigger trade. The Rays, Padres, and Nationals combined on a mammoth three-team, 11-player deal that is perhaps best remembered today as the swap that brought Trea Turner to Washington (and thus setting the table for the Nats’ 2019 World Series championship).
From Myers’ perspective, the deal kicked off an eight-year run in San Diego that was overall a success, albeit with plenty of ups and downs. Much of his time with the Padres is viewed through the lens of the six-year, $83MM extension he signed prior to the 2017 season, which at the time was the largest contract in San Diego franchise history. The big salary inevitably led to higher expectations that Myers didn’t entirely fulfill, as injuries and a propensity for strikeouts limited Myers’ production.
That said, Myers still had plenty of notable performances over the length of the deal. Myers was an All-Star in 2016, hit 30 homers during the 2017 season, and was one of the best hitters in baseball during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. That 2020 campaign was particularly notable since the Padres earned a wild card berth, marking San Diego’s first postseason appearance since 2006 and the official end of the team’s lengthy rebuild. Ironically, Myers’ contract made him difficult to trade amidst the Padres’ other cost-cutting moves, and as a result, Myers ended up being “the one player on hand for the entirety of the franchise’s turnaround,” Cassavell writes.
As the 2022 season rolled along, Myers became a part-time player and was again hampered by injuries, so it was no surprise when the Padres declined their $20MM club option on Myers’ services for the 2023 season. A free agent for the first time in his career, Myers landed in Cincinnati on a one-year deal worth $7.5MM in guaranteed money, but he hit only .189/.257/.283 in 141 PA over what will end up as his final season in the majors.
MLBTR congratulates Myers on a fine career and we wish him all the best in his post-playing endeavors.
Brandon Crawford Announces Retirement
Giants legend and long-time shortstop Brandon Crawford has announced his retirement in a post on his personal Instagram account today. The Giants announced (X link from Justice delos Santos of The Mercury News) that Crawford will be celebrated at the club’s upcoming game on April 26, when they will be hosting the Rangers, managed by Crawford’s former skipper Bruce Bochy.
“Growing up in the Bay Area and going to games at Candlestick,” Crawford says, “I always dreamed of playing for the San Francisco Giants. Being drafted by my hometown team and spending most of my career with them far surpassed any dream I had as a kid. I definitely pretended to win a World Series in my backyard – but winning two? That was beyond my wildest dreams.” He goes on to express gratitude to that organization as well as the Cardinals, his family members, coaches, teammates, fans and many others who he crossed paths with.
As Crawford himself mentioned, he could hardly have asked for more of the platonic childhood baseball dream. In 2008, he was drafted by the club he grew up cheering for, with the Giants selecting him in the fourth round out of UCLA. In 2010, the Giants won the World Series, their first title since the club moved from New York to San Francisco. However, Crawford was still a minor leaguer at that time.
He was able to make his major league debut in late May of 2011, and he did so in memorable fashion. In his first game in the show, he hit a grand slam in the seventh inning, his first major league hit (YouTube link from MLB). That gave the club a 5-3 lead over the Brewers and they held on to win 5-4. Despite that notable start, the first season wasn’t great overall. He hit just .204/.288/.296 and only got into 66 games. The Giants finished 86-76 and missed the playoffs.
In 2012, Crawford took a firmer hold of the shortstop job in San Francisco, getting into 143 games. His offense still wasn’t especially impressive but it was better than the year prior and his defense was well regarded. The club went 94-68, winning the National West and advancing to the postseason. Crawford hit just .217/.321/.283 in the playoffs but the Giants went on to defeat the Reds, Cardinals and Tigers, earning their second title in three years.
The following year, Crawford’s performance held fairly steady. His offense was again a bit below league average but with strong shortstop defense. However, the Giants slid to 76-86, well out of contention. They came back in 2014, with an 88-74 record that was enough to snag a Wild Card spot. At that time, there were just two such spots per league and those clubs faced off in a one-game, winner-take-all matchup. The Giants cruised through that game with an 8-0 victory, then defeated the Nationals, Cardinals and Royals to secure yet another title. The Giants had three trophies in five years and Crawford had two rings with his hometown club before his 28th birthday.
Crawford had his best offensive season to date in 2015, as he hit 21 homers with a .256/.321/.462 slash line. He made his first All-Star Game and collected both a Silver Slugger and his first Gold Glove award. While the team’s performance fell off, Crawford emerged as a legitimate star. The Giants recognized as much and signed him to a six-year, $75MM extension.
It was more of the same in 2016. Crawford hit .275/.342/.430 while continuing to play elite shortstop defense. He won his second straight Gold Glove and found his name on MVP ballots for the first time. Crawford’s offense dropped over the next few years, but he continued to play excellent defense. He earned a third straight Gold Glove in ’17 and another All-Star appearance in ’18.
While Crawford appeared to be on the downswing of his career toward the end of the 2010s, he hit surprisingly well in the shortened ’20 season. It would’ve been easy to write that off as a small sample blip if Crawford didn’t follow that up with a monster year. At age 34, Crawford set a career mark with 24 homers while hitting .298/.373/.522 in 138 games. He earned another Gold Glove and All-Star nod and finished fourth in NL MVP balloting as the Giants reeled off 107 wins to secure their first division title in a decade.
San Francisco re-signed their longtime shortstop to a two-year, $32MM extension on the heels of that resurgent showing. Neither Crawford nor the team managed to sustain their ’21 form, though, and that deal didn’t wind up working as the club hoped. San Francisco let Crawford walk once he hit free agency last winter. He signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals but was limited to 29 games as a veteran backup to rookie Masyn Winn in St. Louis.
Crawford finishes his career with more than 1400 hits and a .249/.318/.395 batting line over more than 6300 plate appearances. He hit 147 homers and drove in 748 runs. Crawford’s production was even more impressive on the other side of the ball. He was one of the preeminent defensive shortstops of his era and earned four Gold Glove nods. Crawford made three All-Star teams, appeared on MVP ballots twice, and won the aforementioned two titles with his hometown club. Baseball Reference valued his career around 29 wins above replacement over parts of 14 seasons. B-Ref calculated his career earnings around $114MM. MLBTR salutes Crawford on an excellent career and sends our best wishes in his post-playing days.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.