Buster Olney of ESPN reports that the New York Yankees are very much “engaged in conversations” with Carl Crawford’s representation.
But would that be a good thing for the Yankees if he were indeed signed to wear the glorious pinstripes?
There is no denying how great of a player Carl Crawford is. Crawford has accumulated a lifetime batting average of .296 with almost 1,500 hits and a grand total of 409 stolen bases. He is as fast as they come and can make any defensive play in the outfield.
Crawford came up with the AL East division rival Tampa Bay Rays in 2002. He has been there through the good, the bad and the ugly. He is the major key in their revival, along with first baseman Carlos Pena and third baseman Evan Longoria. Crawford is one of the few remaining pieces of the team that was once called the Devil Rays.
He has been extraordinary with the Rays, but does that mean he should become a Yankee? Crawford has been linked to numerous teams, including the hated Boston Red Sox. Crawford is surely going to command a huge deal and in doing so could effectively derail the Yankees’ bid to get pitching ace Cliff Lee. Crawford is thought to be seeking an eight-year deal.
What the Yankees apparently are not taking into consideration is the already crowded outfield they have. However, Carl Crawford would still be a great catch for the New York ball club.
The Yankees have outfielders Nick Swisher, Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner. With the signing of Carl Crawford, one would surely go, and my consensus pick would be Swishalicious.
Adding Crawford to an outfield of Granderson and Gardner gives the Yankees the fastest outfield in the entire league. There would be no one who would want to hit in that direction. Everything hit out there would effectively be caught.
Granderson last year at times had looked shaky at the plate and only finished with a .247 batting average, which is 21 points lower then his career batting average of .268. Gardner is not known for his hitting. Whenever Gardner gets a hit, it is either a slap hit or an infield single. But once he gets on the basepaths, he is beyond dangerous and can score from any base.
Then comes Swisher, who still has yet to perform in the postseason, and his claim to fame with the Yankees is he is a great locker room influence in a clubhouse that was once somber.
Crawford would be a great sign, as he brings more speed and gives the Yankees lineup a deathly look. Granderson and Crawford in the one and two spots? Then batting third, fourth and fifth would be Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano? You have got to be kidding me. That spells disaster for anybody facing them.
Two problems with signing Crawford are the crowded outfield and, yes, I am going to say this, his career batting average of .222 against Cliff Lee. That is a huge statistic because the signing of Carl Crawford could spell the end of the Yankees’ chase for Lee.
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