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  • Trading Places: Could Twins End Up with Brandon Crawford at Shortstop?


    Nick Nelson

    San Francisco needed a star and they got one, signing Carlos Correa to a $350 million deal earlier this week. He looks like a very nice fit in the Bay, with one notable catch: the Giants already have a beloved shortstop who's been their regular fixture at the position for a decade.

    As it happens, Crawford would be a near-perfect fit for the team Correa just departed. 

    Image courtesy of John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

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    At the beginning of the offseason, I highlighted Brandon Crawford as one of the three most probable shortstop trade targets for the Twins. Now that Carlos Correa has been signed to supplant the longtime Giants shortstop, it feels like an idea worth revisiting. 

    The plan for now, supposedly, is for Crawford to slide to third base and make room for Correa. For Giants fans and followers, it comes as no surprise that the 35-year-old is willing to move away from the only position he's ever known for the good of the team. Crawford is renowned as a top-notch clubhouse fixture and team player.

    He's also turning 36 in January, and entering his final season under contract, coming off an underwhelming season for the G-men. Crawford slashed .231/.308/.344 for an 85 OPS+ that ranks among the worst of any season in his career. Nearly all of his value came from fielding, but that value was considerable, with a 93rd percentile OAA contributing to his very respectable 2.0 fWAR.

    Crawford has always been a very good shortstop and has never known anything else. His 1,525 defensive starts in the majors have ALL come at short. He's won four Gold Gloves. The idea of him playing elsewhere seems zany in concept, and much more so when you account for the fact that his whole value as a player by this point derives from shortstop defense.

    In moving him to the hot corner, they're basically hoping that he'll adapt instantly and become a hugely valuable defender at a position he's never played – or they're hoping his bat rebounds, although he's generally been a pretty average hitter. Both feel like kind of a stretch?

    For the Giants, it feels weird to be relying on such a gambit in a season where they've invested so much in pushing hard for immediate contention. For all of his intangible qualities, the on-field reality of Crawford as third baseman on a bonafide contender has the potential to be disastrous, and he'll be making $16 million to boot.

    Given their druthers, San Francisco would surely love to unload Crawford on a team that needs a short-term veteran fix at shortstop and has many to burn. Hey! (Cue light bulb clicking.)

    Of course, there's a hitch in that plan. Accordant to Major League's Baseball's 10-and-5 rule, Crawford has the ability to veto any trade. He has spent his entire career in San Francisco and is basically an institution there. Even if the Twins would really like to have him, and the Giants would really like to move him, it all comes down to the player himself. 

    People who follow the team tell me the idea of Crawford willingly leaving to go to Minnesota for one year at the end of his contract in his age 36 season feels outlandish. And as I type out the sentence, it sure does feel that way. 

    But maybe the Twins could sell him on the idea of taking over as unquestioned leader for an upstart hungry squad? A new challenge to round out a commendable career? Or maybe Crawford feels like shortstop is his home more than San Fran?

    I'll admit, the whole thing feels like a stretch. But stretching my imagination is all I can do as I try to figure out how the Twins are going to burn their ample remaining funds, while trying to replace even a semblance of what they lost in Correa as clubhouse staple and steady presence at short, without making the gargantuan (IMO ill-advised) commitment it will require to get Dansby Swanson.

     

     

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    31 minutes ago, Nick Nelson said:

    If people don't think there's a chance Crawford accepts the trade, that's fine. Probably correct. But the idea he's not a legit upgrade over Farmer is puzzling to me. The Reds moved away from Farmer as their SS in August last year. The REDS! Here are their fWARs over the past 3 seasons:

    2022
    Farmer - 1.4
    Crawford - 2.0

    2021
    Farmer - 1.9
    Crawford - 6.4

    2020
    Farmer - 0.2
    Crawford - 1.6

    That's before you account for the off-the-field intangibles, which honestly is what I think would be the primary driver for the Twins pursuing a player like him. They're reeling from what they lost in that regard with Correa almost as much as the on-field impact. If there are other guys out there who could fill that void, I'm all ears.

    Based on what I read, Vasquez will be a good veteran clubhouse presence. Buck and Gray seem to be a good leaders. I do agree that positive veteran leadership  is important to any ballclub. I'm sorry it won't be Correa. 

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    I initially thought this was a good idea. Now I'm not sure. Imo, this team isn't a legit playoff team. They should not be dealing prospects away. If anything, they should be trading veteran players off. 

    Sixteen million a year for a guy you hope only plays half a year seems like an odd investment for a team that won't sign elite players.

     

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    1 minute ago, Nick Nelson said:

    I don't think Crawford would cost much of anything in terms of prospects, which is part of the appeal. His remaining contract (1 yr/$16M) is probably about neutral value. 

    He's a great utility player or decent 3B on a team trying to win it all. If he costs any prospects, and your best case scenario is that Lewis plays SS this year at some point, I don't get why I'm giving up prospects? Why give up prospects for a guy you hope doesn't play half the year?

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    5 hours ago, mike8791 said:

    I'll have what Nick's drinking.  Really, why is everyone so down on Farmer?  He is a perfectly acceptable fill-in until one of the rooks is ready, that is providing the Wonder Boys fill in several gaping holes that still exist.

    TWINS fan since ‘68……live in Cinti past 30 plus years and see Farmer play all the time. Solid - not flashy. I suggested in one of these forums 90 days ago that we should see what we could get for Urshella & get Farmer to fill void at SS due to Correa leaving inevitably. We saved about $3million in salary for similar offense & opened a spot for Miranda with Urshella trade/Farmer acquisition.

    He’s a great bridge to 1 of the 3 SS prospects we have in system. Last June Lewis was going to be the heir apparent for ‘23 “….when Correa opted out….” after about 8 games. Now we seem to think we need to spend a 1/4 of a billion for a shortstop or we’ll be terrible. Makes no sense.

    Please spend on pitching!!!!

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    I don't believe it's a good  idea. He may be a better fielder than farmer. But farmer is clearly a better hitter. Plus farmer is younger. Also we don't need a ton of one year deals.

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    17 hours ago, Nick Nelson said:

    If people don't think there's a chance Crawford accepts the trade, that's fine. Probably correct. But the idea he's not a legit upgrade over Farmer is puzzling to me. The Reds moved away from Farmer as their SS in August last year. The REDS! Here are their fWARs over the past 3 seasons:

    2022
    Farmer - 1.4
    Crawford - 2.0

    2021
    Farmer - 1.9
    Crawford - 6.4

    2020
    Farmer - 0.2
    Crawford - 1.6

    That's before you account for the off-the-field intangibles, which honestly is what I think would be the primary driver for the Twins pursuing a player like him. They're reeling from what they lost in that regard with Correa almost as much as the on-field impact. If there are other guys out there who could fill that void, I'm all ears.

    I don't pretend to speak for anyone else, I am far too extremely humble for that ?, but my issues with this would be 1) age - he appears to be declining with age.  2) price - how much of the salary do we cover and how much, if any would SF be willing to cover.  3) He is a SS - he has never played anything but SS and would be brought here to play SS.  That moves Farmer into........what?  We moved Urshella to save salary and open a position, and brought in Farmer because of his experience at SS.  Farmer would now not be SS, and I ask myself how many super utility players does one team need before it becomes a game of musical chairs with someone always without a chair.  And last, but not least, 4) we are not signing a FA and only spending money, we have to send a body (bodies?) as well, and I would rather save that kind of capital for a different kind of trade, not trading for another infielder on a team loaded with infielders (if you count almost ready prospects).  Now if it was purely low level end prospects and SF was willing to eat a considerable portion of the salary, it would definitely be more palatable, but that still leaves the game of infield musical chairs with Arraez, Miranda, Farmer, Polanco, potentially Kirilloff, and now Crawford.  And I wish I had a dollar for every mention of the guys coming up in the next year or two that would crowd the field (pardon the pun) even more.  And Crawford would definitely be a one year stop gap, so I wouldn't move any of the others to clear roster spots or free up playing time.  

    At the end of the day, as much as I like the guy and would enjoy watching him play the game, it is the kind of move a true contender makes, not a team that can't decide if it is trying to be "competitive" ( I have come to hate that word) in a poor division or rebuild, and either way it is far too little for either scenario.  

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    1 hour ago, Dan In Real Life said:

    Actually I really like this idea, assuming you don't give up a lot for Crawford. Really the only one this wouldn't be good for us ... Crawford. Dang.

    I'd give up nothing to get a guy that you want Lewis to replace by June. Well, money. But not players.

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    On 12/15/2022 at 9:40 AM, Thebigalguy said:

    I don't mind a trade, but not for a guy with one year on his contract at his age. Farmer can get the job done at SS. and the idea of trading Arraez is horsemeat. My contention is that the Twins have what they need on the roster and in the minors if most players live up to their potential and stay healthy. A good starting staff and a trustworthy catcher, with Jeffers under less pressure to grow, a premier relief staff, the batting king to lead off, some pop and power here and there, a premier defensive outfield. Infield defense is a possible weakness. I think we can be playoff bound with what we have.

    Please,  Can i have some ??

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    For this to work the Twins need to take on the contract and get the better of prospects in return. If the Giants add someone in their 5-7 range like Carson Whisenhunt in return for someone like Sabato or Enlow it is a deal that could make sense given the roster position they are in today.

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