h716a5.icuBrandon Crawford is hanging up the cleats and calling it a career after 14 seasons in MLB, he announced Wednesday in a post on Instagram.
Crawford played 13 years for the San Francisco Giants, where he served as the team's starting shortstop from to 2011 to '23. He won two World Series with the franchise in 2012 and 2014, and appeared in 1,654 games for the franchise throughout his tenure with the team.
Last season, he latched on with the St. Louis Cardinals, but failed to lock down much of a role with the team before he was released in August. Crawford played 28 games for the Cardinals and recorded career lows in OPS (.544) and OPS+ (53).
The 37-year-old released a statement on social media, part of which read: "Growing up in the Bay Area and going to games at Candlestick, I always dreamed of playing for the San Francisco Giants. Being drafted by my hometown team and spending most of my career with them far surpassed any dream I had as a kid. I definitely pretended to win a World Series in my backyard—but winning two? That was beyond my wildest dreams."
Crawford was a three-time All-Star throughout his career—most recently in 2021 when he finished fourth in the National League's MVP voting. That year, his age-34 season, Crawford had a 6.1 WAR with 24 home runs, 90 RBIs and a .895 OPS—all of which were career bests. He also won four Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger award during his time with the Giants.