The Mariners are already staring past the end of this season, and one of the biggest questions hanging over 2027 is whether Colt Emerson really can be the Opening Day shortstop. That debate got louder after Adam Jude of The Seattle Times laid out a grim picture of where Seattle stands heading into the winter.
Jude said it’s "unlikely" that Dan Wilson will return as manager, though that part doesn’t exactly feel like a surprise. Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander, by contrast, appear to be in safer shape in the front office.
The more interesting roster conversation is at shortstop. Jude wrote that "it’s likely they’ll want to bring in a veteran shortstop to help shore up one of baseball’s worst defenses."
That defense has been a mess all year, with the Mariners sitting at -53 Outs Above Average, worst in the league. J.P.
Crawford has been the biggest drag there, posting -11 OAA at shortstop. If Crawford leaves in free agency, it could amount to addition by subtraction.
That’s where Emerson comes in, and the Mariners’ bet on him now looks a lot shakier than it did in March. Seattle made a $95 million commitment to the idea that he could eventually take over at shortstop, setting a new record for a player who had not yet reached the majors. Emerson was due to make $2 million this year and $3 million in 2027 before his salary climbs into eight-figure territory in 2028, giving the club a long runway to ease him into star expectations.
Instead, the first chapter has been rough. Emerson produced -0.1 rWAR and a 67 OPS+ in 69 games as a rookie, then got sent down in August before the season ended with surgery on his left wrist.
He’ll face limits on offseason work, including a possible stretch where he can’t swing a bat at all. If there’s a lockout, the Mariners won’t even be able to communicate with him about his recovery.
For now, he looks set to report to spring training as a question mark.
Seattle probably needs a veteran shortstop regardless, but the options are messy. A short-term free-agent deal sounds clean in theory, yet the market doesn’t line up neatly.
Bringing Crawford back would mean more of the same defensive problems. Ha-Seong Kim and Jorge Mateo are out there too, but neither is described as a real regular at this point.
A trade could change the equation, and Jude floated a long list of names: Gunnar Henderson, CJ Abrams, Zach Neto, Otto Lopez, Masyn Winn, Dansby Swanson and, for the splashiest swing, Elly De La Cruz. The catch is obvious: if the Mariners land one of those players, they’re basically pushing Emerson off shortstop for the foreseeable future.
That’s not a small decision for a 21-year-old who is only one year into his eight-year deal. Moving him to third base isn’t some easy escape hatch either. He has less experience there, and he didn’t look comfortable when he played the position this season.
So Seattle is left with an uncomfortable middle ground and no clean answer. Betting everything on Emerson at shortstop looks risky.
Burying him elsewhere doesn’t look much better. Right now, the Mariners are stuck trying to find the narrow path between two bad options.
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A shaky defensive stretch and late relief issues opened the door for the Rockies to rally and leave Seattle with a 5-3 loss, one that tightens the noose in both the American League West and Wild Card races. Depending on how the next slate of games goes, the Mariners could be looking at elimination soon, which is a harsh place to be after a night that started with so much promise. [Read more 🡒]
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Seattle still had to sweat it late after Colorado got on the board with a home run, and the game got even shakier when Andrs Muoz left because of injury. Eduard Bazardo handled the final outs to close it down, but the bigger question now is whether Andersons latest outing was simply a strong night or the start of something much more important for a Mariners staff that could use another reliable arm. [Read more 🡒]
J.P. Crawford Puts Mariners Infield Future In An Awkward Spot
J.P. Crawfords season has become more than a question of production. With the veteran shortstop in the final year of his four-year deal, the Mariners are staring at a familiar but uncomfortable crossroads: a player who has been part of the clubs infield identity, but whose long-term fit is no longer simple to project. Crawford has dealt with injuries this season, has bounced between shortstop and third base, and has not quite matched his usual standard with the glove at shortstop.
What makes the situation even more complicated is what is coming behind him. Seattle has not made any public push to extend Crawford, and the rise of younger infield talent such as Colt Emerson only adds to the uncertainty around how the Mariners want to map out the future. For a team that has leaned on Crawfords experience, the question now is whether this is the beginning of a transition or just another stretch of roster planning still waiting for a clearer answer. [Read more 🡒]