Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants
Between 2014 and 2016, it looked as if Brandon Crawford was finally putting it all together. He had accumulated 48 total Defensive Runs Saved at shortstop over this time while finishing each year with a wRC+ above 100, along with consistently raising his fWAR output (2.7 to 4.3 to 5.2).
The unfortunate thing is that none of those trends have continued over the past two-plus seasons. His defense has been worth 15 total DRS (including 0 so far in ’19), his wRC+ has dropped below 100 each season, and his fWAR has consistently dropped (2.1 to 1.9 to -0.2).
Crawford’s offense has especially fallen off a cliff, as he’s slashing .223/.290/.344 with a 68 wRC+ through 303 plate appearances. Has he been unlucky? Maybe a little bit — he owns a .281 BABIP despite a 41.7% hard-hit rate (but there’s also a 47.5% ground-ball rate mixed in there, so it’s not all bad luck).
The veteran infielder has especially struggled at home by the Bay, which has historically been one of baseball’s more pitcher-friendly parks. In his age-32 season, Crawford is under contract through 2021. A change of scenery would at least give him a chance at rejuvenating his career before it’s too late.
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