Here’s some rather stunning news around the world of Major League Baseball.
Proving that they can throw money down the toilet at a record clip and not even blink an eye, the Los Angeles Dodgers have designated veteran outfielder Carl Crawford for assignment.
The Dodgers today recalled C/IF Austin Barnes from Triple-A Oklahoma City and designated OF Carl Crawford for assignment.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 5, 2016
Crawford, 34, was hitting .185 with zero homers and six RBI in 81 at-bats at the time of the move. With diminishing skills and a disastrous early-season start, the move itself doesn’t seem too surprising.
That’s until we realize the four-time All-Star is still due over $34 million on a contract that runs through the 2017 season.
On the field, this move was made in large part due to the performance of young outfielder Trayce Thompson, who is the brother of Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson.
The lesser known of the two siblings, Trayce is hitting .277 with nine homers and 21 RBI on the season.
By designating Crawford for assignment, the Dodgers could be holding out hope that they could work out a trade for the expensive veteran.
Short of the team eating pretty much all of his salary while taking little back in return, that’s unlikely to happen.
Even with his struggles this season, Crawford could find himself as an interesting option when he hits the open market.
He’s a couple years removed from hitting .300 for the Dodgers and could bring something off the bench moving forward on the season.
He’d also come incredibly cheap with the Dodgers already on the books for the countless millions remaining on his deal.