Tampa Bay Rays: Interested in a Carl Crawford reunion?

The Tampa Bay Rays may have some interest in bringing Carl Crawford back to the team.

Carl Crawford was a star player when he played for the Tampa Bay Rays. He was a member of the team from 2002-2010, reaching four All-Star games in that span.

He left town to join the Boston Red Sox for the 2011 season, but it was tough to blame him. He was given a seven-year, $142 million contract and was expected to be an asset in the Boston outfield.

Fast forward to today and Crawford is a free agent after being released by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had a batting average of .185 in 30 games this season, but there should still be some of the old Carl Crawford inside him if he ends up in the right situation.

That situation could potentially be with his original team.

Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times mentioned the possibility early over the weekend, but went into more detail Monday night:

The Rays’ interest in a potential reunion with former All-Star OF Carl Crawford appeared Monday to still be in the talking about it stage. Whether they decide to proceed to talk seriously with Crawford, who was released last week by the Dodgers, could come down to some basic questions. First, what could Crawford offer? Certainly his experience and resume, and at a time when they are short in the outfield. But he will be 35 soon, hasn’t been much of an impact player in years and was hitting .185 with a .464 OPS when the Dodgers let him go, eating about $35 million, and hasn’t played since June 3. Plus, he has been on the DL seven times in the five-plus seasons since leaving the Rays and had issues playing on the artificial turf previously.

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Tonkin brings up some great points about Crawford’s struggles, but a return, even if only for the rest of this season, would see a Rays legend return home and potentially serve as a mentor to some of the younger players on the team.

The Rays are currently in last place in the American League East, so Crawford would carry little risk. If he comes in and can’t get healthy, he can be placed on the disabled list and be let go at the end of the season. But there are still other possible outcomes. Crawford hit .300 in 2014, and was a key player in the 2013 playoff run.

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Whether it be the pressure of his contract or more personal problems, Crawford had a great career get derailed when he left Tampa Bay. A return now could serve to show fans that he still has talent left in him, given he can stay healthy. He just needs the Rays to give him a chance.