The Dodgers have designated outfielder Carl Crawford for assignment and recalled catcher/infielder Austin Barnes from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take his roster spot, per a team announcement.
Designating Crawford could bring about a significant financial hit for the Dodgers, who will likely have to pay the remaining $35MM on his contract, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). Crawford, who’s signed through next season, “got caught in the numbers game,” Dodgers vice president of baseball operations Josh Byrnes told MLB Network Radio (Twitter link). The Dodgers do have a slew of non-Crawford outfield options in Joc Pederson, Trayce Thompson, Scott Van Slyke, Howie Kendrick and Enrique Hernandez – not to mention the injured Yasiel Puig and Andre Ethier – but this is nonetheless quite a fall from grace for such a high-profile player.
As a quality hitter who offered excellent defense and established himself as a terror on the bases, Crawford was a premier all-around player with the Rays over the first several seasons of his career. The four-time All-Star’s success in Tampa Bay led the division-rival Red Sox to sign him to a seven-year, $142MM contract in 2010, but Crawford fared poorly in Boston during parts of two seasons. The Red Sox then shipped him to the Dodgers in 2012 as part of a salary-dumping trade that also featured first baseman Adrian Gonzalez going to Los Angeles. As noted by the Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham (Twitter link), Crawford was just two days removed from Tommy John surgery at the time.
Injuries have long been an issue for Crawford, who appeared in just 310 games with LA prior to today’s designation. He began this season on the disabled list with a back issue and returned to appear in 30 games, during which he hit a terrible .185/.230/.235 in 87 plate appearances. To Crawford’s credit, he was a solid piece for the Dodgers from 2013-15 – slashing .286/.328/.414 with 18 home runs and 48 steals in 1,032 trips to the plate – but LA has now deemed the soon-to-be 35-year-old expendable.
Crawford, a career .290/.330/.435 hitter who has swatted 136 homers and stolen 480 bases, could catch on elsewhere at a cheap cost after he clears waivers (assuming no one claims him, of course). The Dodgers would have to pick up the remainder of his salary.
If someone claims him, who pays the salary?
Whoever claims him
if he doesn’t get claimed, LAD will just release him but still owe the remainder of his contract?
Yes, and then he will be free to sign with any team for the league minimum while LA picks up the tab this year and next.
0% chance he gets claimed
Whoever claims him is responsible for the league minimum (about 475,000) the Dodgers are responsible for the rest. or 34.5 million
No. If he’s claimed the Dodgers owe him nothing. He’s just about the least likely to be claimed players in the history of the waiver wire.
Ain’t that the truth. Still when he clears waivers the Dodgers could try to stuff $35M in his pocket and see if they can get a warm body for him.
You’re more spot on. If he’s claimed on waivers the claiming team picks up the rest of the 35. However, that’s impossible so once he is outright released, any team he signs with at that point will pay him the league minimum. At best the Dodgers may get a little under million in relief for a prorated deal this year and one next year. Possibilities could be LAA, TB, or CHC. Though Chicago would just be in the minors until maybe September when he can come up and just chill with Maddon and Zobrist.
Why would Carl Crawford sign with the Cubs as a free agent just to play at AAA Iowa until September?
It would make more sense for Crawford to sign with the White Sox where he can play immediately as a LF/DH while also filling the role of a much needed #2 hitter in their lineup, something the club has been lacking since Tadahito Iguchi performed so well back in their World Championship season of 2005 and again in 2006.
As a bonus, Crawford can then “chill” with newly acquired former Rays teammate James Shields on the South Side and meet Maddon and Zobrist at one of Chicago’s fine eateries when both clubs are in town at the same time.
Apparently you haven’t watched him play in 3 years of you think he can dh.
Crawford must have had a whole lot of opportunity to DH as a member of the Dodgers over the past 3 years. LOL
Seems to me as an older, injury prone veteran his final destination may be with an A.L. team, one where he can split time between LF and DH, as I have stated a few times on this comment board.
I was saying he isn’t a good hitter anymore. The idea of a dh is to have good hitters there.
Indeed. Make it happen Rick
I think the Indians will make a run at him after he clears. Only makes sense, he wouldn’t DH but he would at least be an option to fill in until Brantley gets back. Unless, of course, our cheap ownership actually plans on trading for a legit solution to our outfield (which I don’t see happening).
I sure hope not. I had chills of Michael Bourn and Swish when you mentioned this… *shakes* uuugh
Great idea
he will not be claimed
Nobody.
I have no idea
No one will be stupid enough to claim him.
Another guy who I thought was a lock for 3,000 hits. Poof.
That turf took a huge toll and his body was
never the same. You kind of feel bad for the guy.
Hard to feel bad for a guy who has way underperformed his contract. He’s rich either way.
he will go unclaimed. then min contract
A change of scenery might help him…but, nobody is gonna claim him off waivers.
Crawford will be lucky to get a minor league contract offer after clearing waivers and release. He needs to retire rather than continuing to embarrass himself
If he retires he forfeits the remainder of his contract so that won’t be happening.
he can retire without putting in paperwork, just stay home as there is nothing that compels him to play
B.S.
Crawford will sign a pro-rated MLB minimal contract with a team of his choosing and not sit at home counting his money. There will be plenty of suitors for his services, especially teams in the A.L. where he can DH as well as play in LF. The White Sox could be an ideal spot for him as contenders who desperately need a decent #2 hitter in their lineup.
Could totally see the Royals grabbing him on minor league deal to fill in with Gordon out for season. Indians would make sense too
Royals 3B Mike Moustakas is out for the season. LF Alex Gordon sustained a broken hand during the same play that injured both players and is expected back later this month or in July.
White Sox
he is obviously worth a minor league deal
Haha, I love how the picture looks as if he was told he had been cut then they snapped his reaction.
First, once he’s claimed if at all. (Which he won’t be) a trade has to be worked out. Which isn’t going to happen because of how much money he’s owed. And yes he will get picked up. Guaranteed socalbum. The team signing him will only have to pay a prorated portion of the league minimum. He’s not very good. And as a diehard Dodger fan I can’t stand CC, and have wanted him gone since we got him. But a team will take a flier on him. He’s still a serviceable major leaguer and a veteran. He will get picked up.
The Dodgers can make his contract go away, so how much he’s owed is not really a factor. The question is whether anyone will want him on their roster at this point even for little or nothing.
Dodgers can elect to just dump salary without having to agree to a trade if he is claimed
Clearly you don’t comprehend the waiver process, As so many fans have already stated, it would incomprehensible for any team to put in a waiver claim on Carl Crawford and be liable for the entirety of his remaining contract. It’s almost guaranteed that he will clear waivers and then be given his outright release by the Dodgers, after which he will be free to sign with a team of his choosing for a pro-rated MLB minimum contract. That amount will then be deducted from the Dodgers total liability, which currently stands at about $35MM.
If he clears waivers, can the Dodgers send him to the minors?
No because he has enough years of service to decline the assignment. Once he clears waivers they can try to trade him, but if they can’t work out a trade, then their only remaining option is an unconditional release.
Andrea Either in the same boat time for the Dodgers go young YOUNG men
He won’t be claimed but the small chance exists that the Dodgers will be able to trade him if they pay down his entire contract.
can you say the white sox?
the white sox
The White Sox
White Socks
The team that claims him. But if he passes through waivers the Dodgers are on the hook for 35 million and he can sign a new contract with a new team.
Probably gets released and the white sox sign him
What an idiotic management in dodger land. . All that cash spent recently and BUST city
Actually most of that cash was spent in the administration before this one. This is part of cleaning up.
All since Stan Kasten took over, so no, not really.
Crawford is pre- this ownership and Kasten
Nope. Kasten took over as president when the sale closed in April 2012. They made the trade with Boston for Crawford, Gonzales and Beckett, in August 2012. Colletti was still GM at that time so possibly this is what you are thinking.
It’s still a stretch to call Friedman idiotic.
Angels could have use for his services.
Twins or braves could use him he fits in
Definitely doesn’t fit Atlanta’s situation. We have too many outfielders as it is.
Try a different position
I wonder if the Giants would have interest with Pence out. He’d be cheaper than Bruce in both salary and prospect cost. And he’d be easier to bench when Pence comes back. Plus it would really stick it to the Dodgers if someone they released helped them win the division.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. Tue Giants shouldn’t get someone that would force Pagan or another started to be benched, they should find someone capable of starting, but can be benched without having a hurt ego, and Crawford fits that bill exactly
I agree 100%. After he clears waivers he’s a zero risk for the Giants and costs zero prospects. Giants still have time to trade for someone if he doesn’t work out.
I don’t know how Crawford is thinking but think about this for a minute. He’s a proven veteran player. He comes back from injury and doesn’t perform right away so he’s cut. There’s a chance that he feels like he has something to prove and that as a proven veteran he should have been given a little more time to get it into gear.
Sometimes situations like this light a fire under a player and SF and Bochy are known to show a lot of respect to veteran players (let’s not talk about Uggla though because that doesn’t prove my point)
I really hope SF picks him up and sees what he can do. Right now we know they are going to be watching video of him looking to see if they can see anything that jumps out at them that he’s doing anything wrong they feel they can correct.
Personally I think Sabean is a genius when it comes to this situation and if he thinks Crawford is worth it. He will get him.
One last thing. We all know Pagan is fragile and is going to miss more games. That’s okay. I love him and think he’s great when he’s on the field. When Pence is back it would help to let Pagan take more days off here and there. I know he doesn’t want to but I think he just needs more time off than an average player to keep him on the field. Problem is it will affect his hitting.
So I just read someone referring to Crawford as a “cancer”. If this is true Sabean won’t pick him up. He is way too smart to let someone affect clubhouse chemistry.
A Boston fan, no doubt. That’s how they describe any player who doesn’t adjust well to the oppressive media and fan environment in their fair city. Nobody ever had any complaints about Crawford as a teammate in LA. In fact Dave Roberts described him as one of the hardest workers he’s ever known in baseball. So, no.
Cubs should pick him up when he clears waivers. Another lefty bat who would be capable of playing LF. It’s worth a roster spot. Over tim Fedorowicz
Im a Cub fan and question if you know baseball. Why bring a useless cancer to a team like the Cubs?
Exactly. He’s the last thing in the world the Cubs want on their team. They’d rather have a case of hotdogs and a wax statue of Harry Kerry
Who might be better qualified of Carl Crawford’s ability and clubhouse presence than his former manager in Tampa, Joe Maddon?
We will find out soon enough if Maddon has any interest in his former star player as a veteran platoon option in LF and on the bench for the Cubs down the stretch. After all, this is the same organization that took a flyer on veteran OF Shane Victorino for a similar role this past off-season, before the injury to Kyle Schwarber.
Crawford could be a viable option for the Cubs in 2016, although as a fan of both Chicago teams, I would prefer to see Crawford on the South Side as a #2 hitting LF/DH.
Technically Aroldis chapman would qualify as a cancer, too. Yet, I bet you would want him. Literally, Cubs could take a flyer. Say even a AAA position at worst. Let him rebuild his stock just as Rodney did last year. He can join the best team in the league. Maddon is all for giving 2nd chances and playing time to guys who are struggling a bit. He could become a viable option as a platoon for Soler. And if he has any legs left we can use him in pinch running situations. I understand that’s a lot to ask for, but baseball is a long season. And 1st place teams usually have the ability to take a flyer on a guy like this. League min… It would cost tim Fedorowicz a spot.
Interesting comment. Dodgers cut Wilson because he was a cancer I feel. Why is Crawford a cancer? You’re not the first to mention this but I don’t know of any actual situations? To be fair I haven’t followed him.
For the people wanting CC on their team,
LA Times reported in April that he had problems getting out of bed in the morning. Recently, he was pinch run for a pitcher in an actual game. He had a good career, but he’s done .
That may be. He will need to pass a physical before signing with any MLB team.
Btw-He was on the D.L. earlier this season with back problems. Anybody who has had any sort of back issues, be it chronic or temporary, would have problems “getting out of bed in the morning” while afflicted.
4 years too late
Cubs need Crawford just because he is an ex-Red Sox player.
You hear the sound of laughter emanating from Boston for hundreds of miles.
Only plausible deal may be an even-money Crawford-for-Reyes trade. Most teams will probably avoid Reyes and the possible backlash for acquiring him like the plague. The Dodgers GM Platoon could take their typically smug “the Computer says” position without regard to character or clubhouse chemistry and squeeze some fractional WAR out of Reyes the rest of the way as a backup IF.
No need whatsoever for Reyes in LA.
You’re probably right, though Reyes could give them a better RH bat if Kiké’s performance tails off again, Turner is maybe not totally right health-wise and needs a short mid-summer breather on the DL, or either Kendrick or Utley slow down or break down.
Then again, Friedman will probably do the right thing given his long-term relationship with CC and either trade him and all money owed to a contender or release CC so he can choose where to finish the season (and likely, his career).
The Rockies don’t need another left-handed hitting OF and the Dodgers have no use for Reyes with an already crowded middle infield situation.
Carl Crawford will clear waivers, be released and sign on with another MLB club, possibly either Chicago team.
Jose Reyes will likely be traded to a contending team this summer that desperately needs a SS down the stretch, with the Rockies dealing him in a salary dump similar to what the Padres just did with James Shields.
They passed on Chapman they’d be better off just eating the money
Interesting thought about Reyes and Crawford. I tend to think that the Dodgers won’t be able to get anything for him, even with an almost total pay down. But someone will sign CC for the pro-rated minimum with all the injuries around the league. Worth a flyer for some team.
What happened multiple teams want him at league minimum? Does he go to the highest bidder? If so, does that reduce the amount the Dodgers would owe?
If multiple teams want him then somebody is willing to trade for him and nobody gets him for the MLB minimum.
Carl Crawford would be a free agent once he clears waivers and is released. He could then sign on with any team, one that would best fit his own personal situation be it location, organizational familiarity, contending status and/or playing time. Imo, the last couple of factors could point him in the direction of Chicago.
*What happens if multiple teams want him at league minimum*
If he clears waivers and is released, he is a free agent who can sign anywhere he wants for a prorated portion of the league minimum. So, it becomes his choice if multiple teams want him.
The Dodgers may end up releasing him but they can try to trade him before having to release him (they have ten days to pull this off I believe). Waivers are really a technicality in this case because Crawford does not have to accept and clearly would not have any reason accept a minor league assignment. In reality he can force the Dodgers to release him by vetoing any proposed trade with his 5-and-10 rights but that’s up to him and whether a trade sends him to a place where he’d want to go.
I don’t think CC has the five years of service time with LA necessary to grant him 10-and-5 rights. I do agree however that Friedman probably will just release CC if he cannot trade him to an out-of-division contender.
When he clears waivers, can the Dodgers send him to AAA? I mean, if they are going to be paying his salary anyway, why not demote him rather than release him?
As a veteran with 5 years of service time he can refuse a minor-league assignment.
No what they did was completely released him. Accepting the fact that they may have to pay whats left of this contract/2 years. He will be a well paid BUM or continue on to another team (get same or to equal compensation)
Since when? He was designated for assignment. This means the Dodgers have ten days to trade or release him. Probably he will be released, but not until next week.
Wondering if the White Sox would have any interest in this left-handed hitter for a pro-rated minimum MLB contract after he clears waivers. He is the same age as James Shields, was his teammate for many years in Tampa and could potentially fill the role of a much needed #2 hitter in the White Sox lineup. Carl Crawford put up some decent numbers last season and was actually fairly productive as recently as 2014 when he wasn’t hurt.
What would the White Sox have to lose? He could potentially be had very shortly as a free agent for cheap money and his signing shouldn’t preclude the team from acquiring a much needed power bat as the summer deadline approaches.
Crawford was always a favorite of former White Sox GM Kenny Williams who is now one of the clubs executive vice presidents. I say, why not?
You know what they say- “K.A.G.H.M!”
He could not potentially fill the role for a #2 hitter. That guy is ass.
Whether a fan or not I don’t like the way it went down. Thompson is a JOB THIEF he actually brags about the name he want to make for himself, Well this is how it starts. THE KIDS will hit him on his back to CONGRATULATE and THE VETS will watch their backs with question marks. Whatever it does does not make for a happy locker room. CC will survive, he will get his 35m, minors be damned But if he still wants to play it won’t be in cold weather or on Turf. Good Luck Carl Crawford, always keep smiling.
Your post makes zero sense. Literally every single MLB player is a ‘job stealer.’
You either produce, or teams will try and replace you with someone who will. It’s as simple as that.
Are you referring to Trayce Thompson?
I find it hard to believe that a player new to MLB, one who had his share of struggles in the White Sox farm system would suddenly have this much ego or sway in the clubhouse. He certainly wasn’t like that in his brief and successful debut with the White Sox last August and September.
Must be the bright lights of LA or the glamour of Hollywood that got the better of him. He was never a problem for the White Sox organization, even with his “superior” genetics.
You have got to be kidding. CC is being treated quite well and will land, most probably, in a place of his choice. Meaning he can go somewhere where he can continue to live a life of leisure while he collects an enormous check twice a month or he might go somwhere where he could try and help push a team into the playoffs –a place that might require him to work hard and sacrifice for the good of others. Either way CC will be fine.
As for your cheap shot at Thompson….please. Next to Seager, he is the most encouraging addition to the LAD this season and his development has little to do with CC being designated. The reality is that Barnes is just too valuable an asset to not have on the roster….. Particularly when compared to what CC offers. Thompson’s performance , when combined with what Montas will soon bring to the Dodgers just confirms that the LA FO fleeced the Reds and White Sox last winter. This move was appropriate and everyone associated with it will be just fine.
Thinking maybe you shouldn’t be too concerned with cheap shots.
Anyway, Montas. A little early to get very excited about him. Hard thrower but with control issues and a lack of quality secondary pitches at this point.
How exactly where the White Sox fleeced in that 3-team trade that netted Chicago a much needed 3B in Todd Frazier? He is currently tied for the MLB lead with 18 HR’s while also amassing 40 RBI’s, good for an 8th place tie in the American League. He also has shored up a long standing hole at the hot corner on the South Side, one that had been evident since Joe Crede retired.
Frazier also supplies formidable defense, replacing Conor Gillaspie, arguably the worst defensive 3B in the franchise’s history. Frazier also has added a significant clubhouse presence that had been lacking in Chicago in recent years.
Despite a lowly BA in 2016, he has still managed a 1.5 WAR thus far, which is on track to match the 4.0 and 5.3 metrics he earned with the Reds the past two seasons as their All-Star third baseman.
In addition, Frazier is a relative bargain at $8.25M in 2016 and has one more year of arbitration eligibility left in 2017. He has already gone on record in saying that he would prefer to remain on the South Side when he becomes a potential FA in 2018.
Well, yeah – he’s better than Crawford so he’s taken playing time. It goes for everyone – if you don’t want to lose your job, perform.
As much as I respect CC it was a matter of time. Fact is it wasn’t even his job it was Ethier/SVSs job. CC looked terrible and didn’t even look competitive in his abs. But yes every single MLB player takes somebody’s job. CC did the same. It’s the nature of the beast.
So what are the dodgers gonna give to the braves along with crawford when they trade for him? Buehler looks good
Dodgers FO hoards prospects.
Lol, Dodgers FO hoards prospects. They don’t even trade prospects for someone like Todd Frazier.
Because they had Turner. They recieved Thompson and Montas. So tech the Soxs and Dodgers can say they won that trade. The Dodgers also until this point have not had the luxury or hoarding prospects because they didn’t have many. I think hoarding Seager, Pederson, and Thompson was a very smart idea.
Depending on what reports you believe, they’re hoarding Verdugo, Bellinger and the other young second tier guys as well. Well, at least not trading them for anyone.
In lieu of their recent OF losses, I could see the Indians or Giants kicking the tires, but they’d probably just fall off.
Gotta be one of the worst contracts of all time 3.5 WAR in almost 6 years for $93M – ouch.
wonder if there is any chance he signs a minor league deal w/ tb.
Hope he clears waivers the Dodgers release him and he signs signs with the Angels for league minimum…..
Once he clears waivers I think the Royals,White Sox and Giants will all be in the running to sign him
I agree. I can see the Angels signing him. He can split time between LF and DH for them
So glad they finally made this move. Tired of seeing him take time away from guys that deserved to be playing. Give Van Slyke more time please! And wen Ethier comes back trade Puig and some minor leaguers for pitching please
Surprise Surprise Van Slyke likes the role he plays.. His words on interview w/Jerry Jr. for TWC SNLA
I’m glad they finally did this. Bottom line is, the Dodgers weren’t getting out from under that contract – it’s a sunk cost no matter where he is. Might as well let him go so he doesn’t have a negative effect on the team anymore.
I wish Crawford well. But a one dimensional speed guy who’s lost his legs, is probably done.
jason heyward will be the next nasty contract
Once he gets released, I can either see the Royals or Indians taking interest.
Would look good on the jays bench !!!
Do writers generally struggle with math and economics or is there some sort of financial hit I’m not aware of?
Unless you are referring to Crawford’s minor league replacement or an impact related to potential lost insurance coverage in the event of an injury, there is no financial hit that I know of related to cutting a player.
It’s confusing to constantly hear about the massive cost of cutting a player that you were going to pay one way or the other. Given the number of old players teams refuse to replace it seems like owners often struggle with the concept as well.
What is the “significant financial hit” the dodgers risk by releasing him?
@emac22
maybe you should put down the keyboard and play outside? we’ll take care of this
Put down my keyboard?
Do you hold your keyboard when you type or was that a joke about how stupid it is to say there is a cost to dropping a player?
The cost is nearly $35 million that they will be paying minus prorated league minimum for him to play for someone else. They are paying this money basically to open up a roster spot. That’s the cost of cutting a player
Emac is saying that you have to pay that money anyway so how is it a “loss”. A “loss” is usually referenced as a penalty.or a consequence of an action. the fact that he may have -WAR means it may have been a loss to keep him on the team and playing
That’s not true.
The cost is only whatever extra they are paying the other player who takes his roster spot.
They pay that 35 mil if they keep him or cut him so it clearly isn’t a cost related in any way to cutting him.
WAR has nothing to do with my comment.
I’m referring to matching up actions with their actual cost.
Is there an added cost related to throwing away something broken you already paid for?
I didn’t say your comment had anything to do with WAR, I was adding onto it
There is a cost. Yes, Crawford’s contract was going to be paid anyway, unless he retires, which is doubtful. But whatever player the Dodgers add to the roster is a cost in addition to the 35MM they’re paying crawford. It’s a small cost, because the 25th man on a roster is generally paid the major-league minimum, but there are ancillary costs, like the money given to players daily to eat with (on the road)- the per diem , which is about 100 bucks a day. So there is a cost, but it’s not much in the grand scheme of things.
It adds up for the Dodgers, who have been hurt badly by injuries, in that they have a lot of money tied up in Ryu and McCarthy and Anderson along with paying their replacements. But you could say that about every team.
There is little if any cost once you remove the 35 mil and per diem costs you mention for some reason.
Unless you’re saying they didn’t have to pay Crawford a per diem? Big contracts often have additional benefits in addition to food money as well.
And you forgot to subtract the money that whoever replaces him would be paid in the minors so we end up with the MLB minimum minus his minor league comp.
I wouldn’t be surprised if there were additional savings by replacing a big contract with a small contract in terms of set asides, insurance or other benefit related costs. It could actually save them money based on the structure.
It doesn’t sound like it adds up to anything of even minor significance.
They DFA’d him. They have ten days to trade him, release him, or send him to the minors. He won’t be traded and he certainly won’t accept a minor-league demotion with the Dodgers if he wants to play in the majors anymore. The Dodgers probably wouldn’t offer him a demotion anyway.
Yeah, it’s insignificant in the long term. The per diem thing is a wash, I suppose, and while a hundred bucks a day is real money to us, it’s probably nothing to a major league team. But that bit of money is way smaller in the minors, so there’s a tiny bit more money spent. Baseball teams don’t care too much about money anyway, they all have plenty of it. The Dodgers have tens of millions of dollars on the DL or are paying to other teams.
Minor league salaries are famously low, especially for guys who aren’t at six years yet, so that’s a tiny bump, but nothing a team can’t absorb.
Despite how the wise guys responded, you made an entirely valid point. Crawford’s contract is a sunk cost. It doesn’t get bigger because the Dodgers decided to cut him from the roster. All they are really doing is acknowledging that their investment in the player has not paid off. It’s similar to owning stock in a bankrupt company. You already took the loss, removing that bad investment from your books is essentially a technicality.
Exactly!
Teams, partially as a result of their misinformed fans pressure, end up playing inferior vets too often because they somehow feel they lose money by going with a better player based on a contract they signed a long time ago.
Since big free agents often take less money per year over more years to reduce the tax hit for the team, everyone knows the last year or so is wasted money. Somehow when those last years arrive everyone gets mad because said player is overpaid and management keeps the player in the field so they don’t somehow waste money.
Not sure that fan pressure has much impact. I assume most baseball executives understand finance, including the concept of sunk costs. They may well decide to hang onto an expensive, underperforming veteran because they lack other good options to replace him, or in the hopes that he will bounce back and they will have a tradable asset.
The D’s will lose $35M plus, regardless of whatever happens to CC. He was a positive in the locker room and befriended many of the kids. So CC will be missed and I say to CARL CRAWFORD enjoy your life whichever way it continues.
Most know the sunk cost concept but also know many fans don’t and that they would be subject to a lot of backlash from fans and media. I don’t believe all know it beyond being able to repeat it. It seems clear not all understand it.
Not all have ready replacement but in a lot of cases it’s because they seem to need a ready replacement that can perform at the level of the old players peak years instead of just being better than what the old star can do right now.
Hoping the player rebounds is sometimes valid but too often they don’t sit the player down and let him pinch hit or start occasionally until they show signs of improving. Very often, hoping for improvement is hiding from making a decision.
I don’t know that any one reason get’s a majority of the blame but it’s a consistent factor that goes beyond what you would expect to see if everyone understood the factors in play.
Pretty clearly this FO at least doesn’t give toot about what the fans think. As far as Crawford is concerned, he certainly showed flashes of his old self when he enjoyed healthy stretches over the last few years, but those periods were too few and far between. I’m not a big fan of this FO by any means, but I can see why they held off pulling this trigger until they could see what they had in Crawford after his last injury and felt they had better roster options. Promoting Barnes made sense for several reasons, not the least of which is Grandal always seems days away from another DL stint and their other catcher is not an every day guy anymore. That’s how I add it up.
My comment had nothing to do with the Dodgers. It was probably more directed at the Yankees than anyone else.
I don’t think Crawford had any realistic chances of returning to being an above average player and with their depth it wouldn’t have made sense to keep him if they couldn’t trade him.
Thank you for your comments emac and for being persistent in making sure that others who either misunderstood or misinterpreted them (in order to make their own point) were corrected.
His career is D-O-N-E
league minimum to the wsox is ideal for him and the team. DFA sands and have him DH here and there or be a bench player. would be low risk high reward.
If we’re being honest, it would be low-risk, low-reward. Crawford isn’t exactly appealing anymore, other than maybe as a fifth outfielder or as veteran minor league depth.
It’s a shame; in his prime this guy was a really fun player to watch, speed and a bit of power and he was a great left-fielder, albeit with a weak arm. I don’t know how much damage the years on the turf did to his body, although we see similar issues cropping up with other long-time Rays (Longoria, obviously). It’s a reminder that health is a skill, one that not all players have. Crawford’s body wasn’t made to withstand the abuse it took into his 30s. And once his legs went, he didn’t have enough ancillary skills to fall back upon.
It is worth noting that in 2014 he was a productive part-time player – 300/339/429, for an OPS+ of 118 with 23 steals. So perhaps if he gets his body as right as he can he could be somewhat useful in a part-time role. There are some managers that are better than others at finding fits for players like that. Joe Maddon is an obvious one.
It is interesting that the mega-trade that brought Crawford to LA just four years ago – in which nine players changed teams – has produced just one good outcome (Adrian Gonzalez), a bunch of players who are out of baseball or nearly so (DeJesus, Loney, Webster, Sands, Beckett, Punto, Crawford), and a #5 starter in Rubby De La Rosa. Funny trade in retrospect
Well said. Guggenheim (Kasten) authorized this deal right after taking over the team from McCheap to send a message to LAD fans that they would turn the franchise around. They understood that it would be with a high cost–but they are Guggenheim and spending money has not been an issue.
I agree that Gonzalez is the only player that has performed at a high level / near expectations. Seemed as if the deal was about Gonzalez from Day #1 for LAD. Notwithstanding the money they had to spend (and spending that money on this deal has not really prevented them from continuing to spend money) — the Dodgers can be viewed as winners in the trade. Some would argue that the money saved by getting rid of AGON and CC allowed the Red Sox to “re-tool”.. However, much of those savings were plowed back into two pretty bad contracts (Pablo and Hanley).
Both teams can be “winners” in a trade, if both get what they need from it. Boston wanted to free up revenue for a rebuild, which they got (whether their signings worked out is immaterial), and the Dodgers got Gonzales. Beckett was actually a bonus because he ended up being more effective than anyone had a right to expect.
True; I think LA thought they might get more out of Beckett. Crawford had some good moments with LA when he was healthy. Boston got enough salary relief to blow it allon bad contracts, but their farm system has come through in pretty amazing ways
Beckett was a throw-in. He was seen by one and all as being completely out of gas. Which he was until he worked with AJ Ellis.
Please come back to Boston, said no one EVER.
Saw a Giants fan site saying the Giants will pick him up makes sense. Put him at the bottom of the order and hope Pence injury doesnt go longer than the 2 months.
You do know that Crawford can only play LF?