The San Francisco Giants have signed shortstop Brandon Crawford to a mammoth six-year contract extension worth $75 million reports Ken Rosenthal. Crawford receives a full no-trade clause.
Source: Crawford six-year deal with #SFGiants is for $75M. Full no-trade. No option years.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 17, 2015
“Brandon is an integral part of the team whose performance on the field will be one of the keys to our success for years to come,” said Giants President and Chief Executive Officer, Larry Baer to MLB.com I want to commend Brian Sabean, Bobby Evans, Brandon and his representatives for their hard work to keep Brandon in a Giants uniform for an extended period of time. This is an exciting day for Giants fans everywhere.”
Rumours of Crawford, who would have been a free agent in 2018, being extended have been percolating on the hot stove since the offseason began, which shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Crawford was excellent in 2015. While the Giants missed the playoffs after winning it all in 2014, the 28-year-old developed into one of best shortstops in the game. An All-Star in 2015, he posted career-best offensive numbers, leading the Giants with 21 home runs. He also drove in 84 RBI, with a .256 batting average and a .321 OBP, earning his first Silver Slugger. On defense, Crawford was excellent as well making just 13 errors all season, receiving his first career Gold Glove – although there’s an argument to be made how much he deserved it over now-Los Angeles Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons.
The contract averages to $12.5 million per season, which makes him one of the highest paid shortstops in the league. The only players earning more at the position next year are Jhonny Peralta ($13.2 million), J.J Hardy ($13.3 million), Elvis Andrus ($15 million, lol), Troy Tulowitzki ($15.7 million) and Jose Reyes ($17.6 million). The Giants are making a bet the 2015 version of Crawford is the one they’ll get in the foreseeable future as before this season he’d never hit more than 10 home runs.
With the move, the Giants now have their core of Crawford, Hunter Pence, Buster Posey, Matt Cain, and Madison Bumgarner all locked up until at least 2017, though that Cain contract is looking like a pretty ugly burden given his rough, injury-plagued years in 2014 and 2105.
