How Giants’ Brandon Crawford succession plan at shortstop got complicated

Crawford’s absence will mark an end to a championship era that his mere presence in the Giants’ clubhouse kept dimly lit. Now, there remains no trace of the three-time World Series championship era — except Pablo Sandoval, who tag-teamed the left side of the infield at third with Crawford from 2011 until he signed with the Boston Red Sox after the 2014 title year. Sandoval isn’t expected to make the team. “He was one of the greatest teammates I had,” Sandoval said of Crawford. “He’s the best and he had...