Brandon Crawford says goodbye to Giants fans, says he wasn’t wanted back

Even though he’s no longer a San Francisco Giant, Brandon Crawford still has love for the fans and team. Even if the team didn’t want him back.

Shortly after spring training began, the 37-year-old shortstop signed a one-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, officially concluding 13 years with the Giants.

In a social media post, Crawford took the time to thank ownership and the front office that drafted him in 2008, as well as everyone from the training staff to the folks that help with travel.

“To the players and coaches that grinded with me throughout the years that I will be lifelong friends with—and to the best fans in baseball that supported me through the ups and downs, I appreciate you and thank you from the bottom of my heart. I achieved things with you that I never even dreamed of,” Crawford wrote on Instagram.

 

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A post shared by Brandon Crawford (@therealbcraw35)

But in an interview with The Athletic, Crawford says there was one person in San Francisco who didn’t want him back, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.

“The bottom line is I was not wanted back by the one person whose (opinion) matters. So I went with a team that gave me a major-league contract. The Cardinals have a long history and tradition. I’ve admired and respected the way the Cardinals have played throughout my career and the way the organization has been run. But the bottom line is I wanted to come back to the Giants. That was obviously the ideal situation for me.”

Crawford told Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic

Crawford told The Athletic he would have even accepted a reduced role with San Francisco, which the publication confirmed was discussed with Zaidi. But, the Giants’ president saw that option as a detriment to its young stars.

“I just think we expect our younger players will have their ups and downs, as young players do, and having the greatest shortstop in franchise history on the bench … it was just going to create a dynamic where it was going to be harder for our young players to play with a margin of error,” Zaidi told The Athletic.

Brandon Crawford and his time in San Francisco

A Bay Area native, Brandon Crawford played 1,617 games with the Giants. And while he ended this past season with a career-low .194 batting average, he’ll go down as one of the best in Giants’ history. A career .250 hitter, Crawford has done a lot for San Francisco. He’s helped the team win two World Series, represented the Giants in the All-Star Game three times, has four Gold Gloves, and is a two-time Wilson Defensive Player of the Year award winner.

The first opportunity Crawford will have against his former team is when the Giants and Cardinals face off at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., on Thursday, June 20. The Giants will also close out the 2024 season with a three-game homestand against the St. Louis Cardinals.

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