The Los Angeles Dodgers reached the seemingly inevitable on Monday and released Carl Crawford, putting a formal ending to his tenure with the club. He was designated for assignment on June 5, removing him from the 40-man roster.
The Dodgers owe Crawford nearly $13 million in remaining salary this season, plus $21 million in 2017. Should he sign a Major League contract elsewhere, any salary earned through the end of next season will offsetting what the Dodgers owe the 35 year old.
Crawford was acquired along with Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and Nick Punto, in the August 2012 mega trade with the Boston Red Sox that added more than $250 million in salary to the Dodgers’ books.
However, Crawford, who was recovering from Tommy John surgery at the time of the trade, did not make his debut with the club until the 2013 season.
This year was particularly tough for Crawford, who never looked the part of a healthy player. A back injury forced him to the disabled list during the first week of the season, and he appeared in just 30 games after returning.
Crawford batted .185/.230/.235 with two doubles, six RBIs, a .208 wOBA and 27 wRC+ over that span. He hit .278/.320/.400 with 55 doubles, nine triples, 18 home runs, 99 RBIs and 48 stolen bases in 320 games over parts of four seasons with the Dodgers.
Los Angeles previously released Alex Guerrero after he was designated for assignment on May 31.
