Cardinals Newcomer 'Was Not Wanted Back' By Former Club Despite Being Fan Favorite

The St. Louis Cardinals latest acquisition has plenty to prove this season, and not just with his new club.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak spent the vast majority of the offseason focused on revamping the pitching staff but recently made one intriguing addition to the team's position player depth -- a middle infielder with a lot to prove.

Newly acquired shortstop Brandon Crawford is a two-time World Series Champion, three-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove Award winner and even has a Silver Slugger in his trophy case -- all with the San Francisco Giants. Despite this, Crawford was not welcomed back.

“The bottom line is I was not wanted back by the one person whose (opinion) matters,” Crawford told The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly, referring to Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. “So I went with a team that gave me a major-league contract. The Cardinals have a long history and tradition. I’ve admired and respected the way the Cardinals have played throughout my career and the way the organization has been run."

The 13-year veteran hit .194 with 19 extra-base hits including seven home runs, 38 RBIs and a .587 OPS in 93 games last season. It was far from his typical production and San Francisco seemingly saw enough.

That said, he also was battling through multiple injuries throughout the season in an attempt to do everything he could to help the Giants' organization. He also continued to play stellar defense at a premium position throughout his offensive struggles.

Now Crawford will do everything he can to prove Zaidi wrong, and he'll do so in Cardinals red.