Can someone tell me why Carl Crawford is so impressive?

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

Coming off a career year (.851 OPS), career (.781 OPS)... he seems like a good fit to be a .275/.360/.440/.800 guy, but I don't understand how that is worth anything like 6/120

To be fair, i haven't heard any contract proposals thrown out there, but they keep talking about him in the neighborhood of Cliff Lee who I'm assuming will get something in the neighborhood of 6/120

[apirk]

I'd say his speed is a huge reason. If he gets on base he is a huge distraction for any pitcher. He is still in his late 20's and is solid defensively. There is a lot to like and I'd feel way more comfortable giving him 6-7 years then cliff lee.

[RockCoCougars]

He's basically a four category player in fantasy baseball (however he is only more than slightly above average in the stolen bases category). As such, he is rated highly in the mock drafts, overrated by fantasy players, and gets much more press than he should. He's basically this generation's Marquis Grissom.

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

I think in this era, speed is overrated. I know the saying goes, a singles hitter with good speed becomes a doubles hitter... i still don't understand the hype or why a player like Crawford is worth $20M per (for 6-7 years), but Corey Hart is available for half the price for half the years

[igor67]

He is the rare great speed player who can still actually hit enough to get some mileage out of the tool.

[dlk9s]

I think he's a very good player and would love to have him on the Brewers (obviously not for the money he's going to get), but where I think a team is going to get screwed is on the length of the contract. Crawford's game is all about speed and I don't think it's likely that his legs will be as good in the last 2-3 years of a 7 year deal.

[PrinceFielderx1]

Crawford is a very dangerous player imo. He can beat you in so many ways.

[mothershipconnection]

He's well-rounded and very athletic, but he's also 29 now, so you know what you're getting - a pretty darn good player. No knock against the guy, but I don't know why some consider him an elite player, it's as if he has been playing for the Yankees.

[TooLiveBrew]

I think in this era, speed is overrated. I know the saying goes, a singles hitter with good speed becomes a doubles hitter... i still don't understand the hype or why a player like Crawford is worth $20M per (for 6-7 years), but Corey Hart is available for half the price for half the years

One reason, and probably the biggest reason that hasn't yet been mentioned, is his defense. Crawford is a stellar defender in LF. Check that, he's an insanely good defender. When you compare Crawford & Hart, their OPS numbers are fairly similar, but Crawford brings better OBP & blows Hart away with the leather. That's why you get Hart for so much less.

[crewcrazy]

He's a very nice player, but he absolutely cannot hit left-handers. That would worry me if my team was thinking about throwing $20 million a year at him. Like Torii Hunter, he's a nice complementary player that will be paid like a superstar. It's interesting that a lot of people think they'll end up being teammates next year.

[danzig6767]

One stat about Crawford i found interesting is he has 409 SB's in his career and only 293 walks, don't see that very often.

 

Speed though does things besides stealing bases, Crawford is able to use that asset in other ways on the field. That said, i saw this on the wiretap earlier today.

 

 

Free-agent

outfielder Carl Crawford may have seen his value increase on Sunday

when the Nationals signed Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126 million

contract.

Crawford is young and considered a bigger target than Werth, leading

many industry sources to predict that the soon-to-be former Tampa Bay

star will see his price tag soar.

He is seeking a contract of up to eight years in length and after

the Werth signing the total of such a contract could approach $180

million.

That would be insane

 

[DuWayne Steurer]

Guys like Crawford who steal a lot of bases often get the "EXCITING TO WATCH" tag applied to them, and (yes, I'm gonna knock the casual fan a bit) to the casual fan, exciting is the same as elite.

 

Crawford runs fast in the field, steals bases, and hits lots of triples. Those things are exciting. "Exciting" ballplayers tend to have their value overestimated.

 

This isn't to suggest that Crawford's not a very good player, as he is. However, if he took an occasional walk (sarcasm there), his value would be much higher. A career .337 OBP just isn't good, and NO player who's got an 'elite' tag should have an OBP that low. When Crawford loses a step, or doesn't hit .300, he's going to be a subpar player. At his age, a contract of 7-8 years would be an instant turn off for me.

[endaround]

Crawford was the next big thing for years. When he finally hit like everyone "knew" he was going to at age 28 he became a star. Now that isn't to say he wasn't very valuable because he was but I would count him at a 6-7 win player for the next 3 years.

[monty57]

One stat about Crawford i found interesting is he has 409 SB's in his career and only 293 walks, don't see that very often.

 

Speed though does things besides stealing bases, Crawford is able to use that asset in other ways on the field. That said, i saw this on the wiretap earlier today.

 

 

Free-agent outfielder Carl Crawford may have seen his value increase on Sunday when the Nationals signed Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126 million contract.

Crawford is young and considered a bigger target than Werth, leading many industry sources to predict that the soon-to-be former Tampa Bay star will see his price tag soar.

He is seeking a contract of up to eight years in length and after the Werth signing the total of such a contract could approach $180 million.

That would be insane

 

This is why one or two dumb GMs can hurt everyone. Werth's contract now becomes the bargaining point for OFs, and de la Rosa's 3 yr/$33MM contract becomes the bargaining point for average SPs. I wasn't behind the Hart extension when it happened, but if it was going to be done, I'm glad it happened before the Werth deal.

 

As for Crawford, he would be much more valuable if he didn't refuse to play CF. I agree with most who have posted that he is a good player, but not one I'd consider giving anything close to 8 years/$180MM.

[sbrylski]

A favorite baseball anecdote... (it's a true story, but for the life of me can't remember who this is about.)

 

An observed asked a baseball coach how he planned to construct his team. Would he favor players with good bats, or players with good gloves?

 

The coach responded, "When does a player use his hitting skills?"

 

"When his team is on offense," the observer replied.

 

"And when does a player use his fielding abilities?"

 

"When his team is on defense."

 

"But when," the coach asked, "is a player able to use his speed?"

 

"On both offense and defense," the observer admitted.

 

"Correct. I am going to build my team to be fleet of foot."

 

And sure enough, the coach signed all the speedsters he could find and created the fastest last-place team the league has ever seen.

[TheCrew]

Coming off a career year (.851 OPS), career (.781 OPS)... he seems like a good fit to be a .275/.360/.440/.800 guy, but I don't understand how that is worth anything like 6/120

To be fair, i haven't heard any contract proposals thrown out there, but they keep talking about him in the neighborhood of Cliff Lee who I'm assuming will get something in the neighborhood of 6/120

He's a career .296 hitter and has been over .300 5 of the last 6 seasons - OPS was over .800 those season as well - not sure how you seem him at .275.

 

Steals 40-60 bags a year, 15+ HR's, good plate discipline and plays great defense - what's not to like?

 

I was really hoping the Brewers would make a run at him to play CF but with Werth's deal there is obviously no chance at that happening.

[endaround]

He won't move out of left. Unless say the Yankees hugely overpay he won't consider moving.

[MJLiverock]

A favorite baseball anecdote... (it's a true story, but for the life of me can't remember who this is about.)

 

An observed asked a baseball coach how he planned to construct his team. Would he favor players with good bats, or players with good gloves?

 

The coach responded, "When does a player use his hitting skills?"

 

"When his team is on offense," the observer replied.

 

"And when does a player use his fielding abilities?"

 

"When his team is on defense."

 

"But when," the coach asked, "is a player able to use his speed?"

 

"On both offense and defense," the observer admitted.

 

"Correct. I am going to build my team to be fleet of foot."

 

And sure enough, the coach signed all the speedsters he could find and created the fastest last-place team the league has ever seen.

Same could be said about a team constructed of all the guys with the best UZR as well.

 

 

[TheCrew]

He's a very nice player, but he absolutely cannot hit left-handers.

His avg/obp dip about 30 points each against lefties compared to righties and his power numbers take a dip as well, but it's quite a stretch to say he absolutely can't hit lefties.

[reillymcshane]

Crawford produced a 6.9 WAR last year according to Fangraphs - if you like those kinds of rankings.

 

That's amongst the top 10 hitters in the league.

 

It was his best ever, so you have to be wary. But as we've seen, it only takes one team to go insane to make the move.

[joepepsi]

He strikes me as similar to Ichiro, but not quite as good.

[monty57]

And not Japanese to take advantage of the huge revenue stream Ichiro can give the Mariners in marketing to Japan.

[kramnoj]

Werth's contract now becomes the bargaining point for OFs, and de la Rosa's 3 yr/$33MM contract becomes the bargaining point for average SPs.

 

Neither one of those contracts was the first of it's kind. Werth got the deal Vernon Wells got, and Gil Meche got 2 more years than DLR.

 

To my knowledge, Crawford would be the first non slugger position player breaking $20M average, but the Red Sox are a team that will value his defense and base-running that are a huge part of his value.

[monty57]

Wells & Meche got their contracts in another day & age, when huge money contracts were flowing like water. Recently, only the CC Sabathia's of the world have been getting huge contracts. That is now about to change.

[lcbj68c]

Carl Crawford just won a silver slugger and a gold glove award. He is a fourtime allstar and just placed 7th in the MVP balloting. I think his contract is deserved.