St. Louis Cardinals: Four shortstops the team missed

2008 … Brandon Crawford, UCLA (4th round, 114th overall, to the Giants)

Brandon Crawford became a key offensive contributor for the San Francisco Giants this year. If only the Cardinals had drafted him. Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

This one hurts a little more. Like Cozart and Mercer, Crawford entered professional baseball as a more polished glove than bat. But unlike those two, Crawford has gradually gotten better since being called up. This past season was easily the best of his 4 1/2 seasons in the bigs.

Crawford enjoyed career highs in nearly every offensive category, including doubles (33), homers (21), and RBI (84). Meanwhile, he has been a steady defender at shortstop, earning himself consideration for the Gold Glove Award this year. No wonder he earned his first All-Star Game nod.

Sure, you can nitpick. He’s never hit above .250, and his offensive numbers declined significantly in the second half of 2015. But there’s no doubt that Crawford has been part of a core in San Francisco that has won two World Series titles in the last four years.

And he was right there for the taking when the Cardinals selected Vasquez instead.

Next: Errors at Short: #4