Cardinals finalize deal with Crawford while reaffirming commitment to Winn as starter
The St. Louis Cardinals made a mid-camp addition official on Tuesday, finalizing a one-year, $2 million deal with shortstop Brandon Crawford to add depth to the bench and act as the primary backup to rookie Masyn Winn.
Infielder Buddy Kennedy was designated for assignment to make room for Crawford on the 40-player roster.
Having played his entire career with his hometown San Francisco Giants, Crawford told the assembled media on Tuesday that the desire of his young children to see him keep playing – he and his wife Jalynne have five – helped motivate him along to his next stop. He also spoke of relishing the opportunity to be a mentor, as well as an eagerness to prove that his injury-limited 2023 season was not reflective of his ability, even as he readies to play this season at age 37.
“I’ve always respected and appreciated the Cardinals organization,” Crawford said. “I always liked going to St. Louis and playing at Busch Stadium. The fans have always been great, too, so I’m excited.”
“He was playing through quite a bit last year,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “We can look at his numbers and go, ‘wait a second.’ But the reality is this is a competitor who’s never going to give in and wants to be out there every day, who was playing through some real pain…I think we’re going to get a much better version of him this year.”
President of baseball operations John Mozeliak led his comments with a firm declaration of the team’s playing time priorities at shortstop, and made more official what was clear from watching the roster decisions the team has made around Winn all winter long.
“We think it’ll be just a great resource for Masyn as he continues to develop,” Mozeliak said. “Let’s be very clear, though: this is Masyn’s job. We brought in Brandon to just give us that protection should something happen, and he understands that role.”
Winn said Marmol gave him a heads up on Sunday morning, prior to his first game action of spring, that they were in the midst of finalizing a deal with Crawford. He then stepped out on the field and tallied three hits including a double, a stolen base, and a highlight reel play from shortstop.
“They let me know straight away, ‘it’s still your spot, but he’s going to come in and help you out, and whatever you need, just let us know’” Winn relayed. “They handled it real well letting me know.”
“I feel like I’ve always done better whenever I have competition,” he added. “Definitely lit a fire under my [rear end]. I probably needed it.”
“In his words, he said, ‘I never want to come into camp, especially this camp, thinking that this job is mine because it’s not, so it doesn’t change the way I’m thinking about this,’” Marmol said of Winn. “Having a guy with his experience of winning, but also defensively winning Gold Gloves, there’s a ton of wisdom to draw from there. So I thought he responded to it very well.”
“I’m here to help [Winn] out any way I can,” Crawford added, “and obviously help the team anyway I can also.”
Part of why the Cardinals needed Crawford is related to Tommy Edman’s recovery from offseason wrist surgery. While the team is steadfast in their refusal to discuss whether he’s expected to be ready by opening day, both Marmol and Mozeliak acknowledged a perceived benefit from no longer asking Edman to be the primary backup at one high-effort position while also holding down the fort as a starter at another.
“When we talk about our defense being steady, part of it is them playing in the same spots more often than they have,” Marmol said. “This allows us to do a couple things [with] off days, not bouncing Tommy back and forth.”
A gold medal winning teammate of Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, Crawford said he also has an off-field relationship with Matt Carpenter which was forged in part on a sponsor-provided offseason vacation several years ago. As a member of the 2012 and 2014 World Champion Giants who eliminated St. Louis from the postseason, he also has a first-person understanding of how the organization has functioned in the sport’s toughest on-field spots and an appreciation for what it takes to reclaim those competitive heights.
For as much as the Cardinals have leaned on leadership and experience as a justification for their winter moves, Crawford is their only addition who has won a World Series outside of St. Louis.
“My kids want me to keep playing, so I want to keep playing for them,” Crawford said. “If something happens that makes sense, then that’s a win, like coming to the Cardinals here. My worst case scenario was going home, being with them, and having a nice career. I felt like I was in a pretty good situation.”
“He was a member of some really successful teams and some teams that beat us,” Mozeliak said. “I just think he was one of those guys that just went about his business and knew how to be successful.
“That’s great to admire that, but now he’s part of this organization, part of this team. And our expectations are that he could help us continue to win.”