The Mariners are moving on from one of the most familiar faces in their recent era.
JP Crawford, who just wrapped up his eighth season in Seattle, has been told the club does not plan to bring him back for 2027, according to Jude. That decision comes after Crawford reached free agency at the end of the five-year extension he signed in April 2022.
Crawford’s run with the Mariners left a clear mark. He won a Gold Glove in 2020 and played more games at shortstop for the franchise than anyone else in team history. Since arriving from the Philadelphia Phillies in December 2018, he became part of a group that finally snapped Seattle’s 21-year postseason drought in 2022.
The organization also highlighted his place in club history during this season’s 50th-anniversary celebration, naming him among its top 50 players.
Across 974 games in Seattle, Crawford hit .247 with a .340 on-base percentage and a .367 slugging percentage. He finished with 78 home runs and 366 RBIs.
Seattle’s direction at shortstop has already been taking shape around Colt Emerson. The Mariners signed Emerson to an eight-year, $95 million contract before he ever reached the majors, with a club option for 2034. At the time, it was the largest guarantee ever given to a player without major league experience.
Emerson made his debut in May and became Seattle’s youngest major leaguer since Felix Hernandez. The deal was framed as a long-term investment in the infield, and Crawford even volunteered earlier this year to shift to third base to make room for him.
There is still one more wrinkle in the picture: Emerson’s rookie season ended with left wrist surgery, though he was expected to be ready for the start of next season. For now, though, Crawford is the one on the outside as the Mariners prepare to keep building without a player who helped define a major chapter of the franchise.
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Mariners Linked To A Former Top Pick Fans Have Seen Before
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For Seattle, the appeal is obvious enough. Crews still carries the pedigree of a top prospect, but his major league track record has not matched the billing, with his plate discipline slipping and his offense lagging behind expectations. It is the kind of profile that can look familiar in a hurry to Mariners fans, and the comparison to Jarred Kelenic is a reminder that chasing a once-promising bat can come with plenty of risk if the breakout never arrives. [Read more 🡒]
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Seattles interest in adding an infielder has pushed the conversation in a different direction, with other pitchers such as George Kirby or Emerson Hancock mentioned as possible trade chips. But Sloans place in the organization appears to be rising, with the Mariners planning to increase his workload and potentially give him a shot to start in the majors next year, a sign they see him as part of the solution rather than currency. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Push Hard To Land A Key Answer In The Outfield
The Mariners are moving quickly on one of the more intriguing names in the outfield market, with reports linking them to free agent Seiya Suzuki and suggesting they want an in-person meeting before the MLB lockout begins. Suzuki, who spent time with the Cubs and was a two-time NPB Central League batting champion, has emerged as a top target as Seattle looks for a meaningful answer in the outfield.
There is a real clock on this pursuit, too, with the current Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire on Dec. 1. That gives the Mariners a narrow window to make their case and potentially line up a deal before the offseason goes dark, which only adds to the urgency around a player who could change the look of their lineup. [Read more 🡒]