Crawford looked like a guy who was just about to explode. He was on the rise, in his prime, and looked phenomenal. His two years previous to arriving in Boston:
2009: 156 g, .305/.364/.452/.816, 116 ops+, 15 hr, 60 sb, 5.0 bWAR
2010: 154 g, .307/.356/.495/.851, 135 ops+, 19 hr, 47 sb, 7.0 bWAR
And his Fenway numbers were good:
2009: 38 ab, .342/.350/.500/.850
2010: 37 ab, .324/.350/.432/.782
There was literally no reason, baseball-wise, to think that he wouldn't be terrific for Boston for a number of years. Healthy. Fast. Good defender (not great, but good). Great on the base paths. Surprising power. Fit a need. Excellent all-around player. All-star in both 2009 and 2010, and deservedly so, not one of those "how the hell did he make it" kind of selections.