Cardinals Reportedly Sign Three-Time All-Star To Bolster Position-Player Depth

St. Louis added a needed veteran presence

Scott Neville | Feb 26, 2024

Cardinals Reportedly Sign Three-Time All-Star To Bolster Position-Player Depth /

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals offseason has been filled with pitching additions after a season in which both the rotation and bullpen lagged behind a potent position player group.

After months of focusing on rebuilding the pitching staff -- which included the additions of three starting pitchers and a pair of high-leverage relievers, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak reportedly has added some position player depth.

"The St. Louis Cardinals are signing three-time All-Star Brandon Crawford, league sources said," The Athletic's Katie Woo wrote Monday.

"Crawford, 37, is expected to serve as a backup shortstop behind 21-year-old rookie Masyn Winn while the team awaits further clarity on Tommy Edman’s recovery from wrist surgery," Woo continued. "The deal is pending a physical."

The homegrown former San Francisco Giants star hit .194 with 19 extra-base hits including seven home runs, 38 RBIs and a .587 OPS in 93 games last season. His offense has certainly taken a dip in recent years but he has a lifetime 97 OPS+ and a truly elite glove.

Crawford -- a four-time National League Gold Glove winner -- recorded six outs above average last season, placing him in the 90th percentile of defenders. Had he played a more regular role for the Giants last season, he would have been in contention for his fifth Gold Glove.

The veteran will be an important presence for Winn as the budding prospect aims to use his bazooka of an arm to become one of the best middle infielders in baseball.

The move also takes pressure off of Edman, who can focus on both rehabbing and becoming a near-full-time outfielder.

More MLB: Here's When Cardinals New Ace Sonny Gray Will Make Spring Training Debut

Published Feb 26, 2024

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the St. Louis Cardinals for FanNation's "Inside The Cardinals" on Sports Illustrated. Before starting "Inside The Cardinals", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." After a few months as the top Major League Baseball site in the program, Neville sought expansion and pitched "Inside The Cardinals," one of the newest additions to FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group. The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Cardinals" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu