The Twins may be staring at a cleaner route to J.P. Crawford than it first appears.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic, a former MLB general manager, recently put together his list of the top 40 free agents in the 2026-27 offseason, complete with contract projections and best-fit destinations. Minnesota showed up as a fit for three players: Ryan Jeffers, Alec Bohm and Crawford. With Jeffers and Bohm already covered elsewhere, Crawford is the name that stands out here.
At first glance, the fit is odd. The Twins look lined up at third base with Brooks Lee and at shortstop with Kaelen Culpepper going into the 2027 season.
But Crawford’s path may not be tied to either of those spots. Seattle shifted him to third base in 2026 to clear room for top prospect Colt Emerson, and before that he had been the Mariners’ primary shortstop since 2019.
In fact, he is Seattle’s all-time leader in games played at shortstop.
If Crawford can handle shortstop and third, there’s at least a case that he can cover second base as well. He has 32 1/3 innings there from 2017.
That matters for Minnesota, especially with Kody Clemens currently looking like the Twins’ starting second baseman in 2027. Crawford would give them another versatile option, and Clemens could still move around the diamond to give other players rest.
There’s also the possibility Minnesota moves on from Royce Lewis after three below-average seasons, which would open things up even more.
The real appeal may be the price. Crawford is coming off a down season, one in which he posted 1.2 fWAR and a 105 wRC+ in 116 games.
The year before, he was at 2.8 fWAR and a 113 wRC+ across 154 games. Bowden projects a two-year, $20 million contract, but there’s a reasonable chance Crawford would rather take a one-year deal and try to cash in again in the 2027-28 offseason.
Since debuting with the Phillies in 2017, Crawford has put together 19.1 fWAR and a .245/.240/.367 line with a 106 wRC+. He has struck out 18.8% of the time in his career and walked at an 11.5% clip.
The defensive profile is the other big piece. Crawford was once a strong shortstop, but the numbers have slipped over the last two seasons.
In 720 innings at short this year, he posted -12 Defensive Runs Saved and -13 Outs Above Average. After the move to third, he finished at 0 DRS and 0 OAA in 254 1/3 innings.
A two-year deal at Bowden’s projected price would be too rich for me. But if Crawford is willing to bet on himself and take just one year, the Twins should absolutely be in that market.
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The real question is whether that kind of projection will age well. Jeffers has done enough recently to make it hard to imagine his market staying that restrained, especially if several teams decide they need catching help at the same time. If his value keeps climbing, the Twins may find themselves facing a decision that reaches beyond simply keeping a familiar bat and glove around. [Read more 🡒]