Written by Doug Padilla at ESPN.com
Veteran outfielder Carl Crawford was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday with approximately $35 million remaining on a contract that runs through 2017.
The Dodgers are responsible for the remainder of the guaranteed deal.
“It’s one of those things where you look at the player, and Carl has had a great career, 14 years and had a lot of great moments,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I know he was proud to be a Dodger. He will be missed. What he brought to the club in terms of experience in postseason games, the impact he had on the young players and the veteran players, the experience he brought will be missed, certainly. But it’s one of those things where father time I think catches up with everybody.”
With the emergence of outfielder Trayce Thompson, Crawford had received little playing time of late, even as Yasiel Puig has been dealing with a hamstring injury. On Friday, the Dodgers reinstated outfielder Scott Van Slyke from the disabled list, while Howie Kendrick has spent significant time in left field this season.
“I think the biggest thing for us right now is going with an eight-man pen and a short bench. I think that added versatility had a lot of value for us,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “Just as we go through spring training and into the beginning part of the year, we’re constantly evaluating our roster and looking ahead.
“I think we just got to the point with Carl — he’s the type of guy who his entire career has worked very hard and played very hard. Eventually that just takes a toll on your body. We just felt like we’d gotten to the point where this made the most sense for everyone involved.”
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