The Mariners have a plausible trade path to Dylan Crews, but the fit comes with a warning label.
According to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic, Crews has become a popular name in trade discussions, helped along by the thin market for right-handed-hitting outfielders. The Nationals, meanwhile, have made it known through team executives that they’re looking for controllable starting pitching, which puts Seattle squarely in the mix as a possible partner.
On paper, Crews checks plenty of boxes. He was the No. 2 overall pick behind Paul Skenes just three years ago, and the talent is still there in theory. But the 24-year-old has not yet turned that pedigree into consistent production, and that’s where the comparison to Jarred Kelenic starts to creep in.
Mariners fans know that story too well. Kelenic arrived with big expectations as the No. 6 pick and at one point was ranked as the No. 4 prospect in baseball, even ahead of Julio Rodríguez. Instead of becoming the star many projected, he’s now a free agent after failing to deliver on his talent across three organizations since leaving Seattle, and he’s being talked about as an all-time draft bust.
Crews is not Kelenic, but the concern is less about talent than about the way things can unravel when the bat doesn’t come around. The source of the worry is his approach and his response to adversity, especially after a 2026 season that ended with a career-best .223 batting average and .663 OPS, yet still looked thin overall.
As Barry Svrluga of The Athletic reported in September, Crews said: "I feel it’s a steady progression throughout the whole year. Feel like I’ve learned a lot - and some of it was unlucky."
That’s a reasonable line on its face, but the numbers don’t really support the idea that bad luck was the main issue. Crews finished the season in the 11th percentile for Batting Run Value, and his plate discipline actually worsened over the course of his MLB career. Svrluga noted that in 2026 he chased more pitches outside the strike zone than he did as a rookie.
There are still reasons teams would want him. Crews believes he’s a five-tool player, and he does bring speed once he gets on base. He also graded well defensively, ranking in the 87th percentile for Range (OAA) this past season.
Still, the Mariners have already lived through a version of this story. In spring training of 2023, Kelenic insisted his struggles were not about a lack of ability. As Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reported, he said he had learned a lot during the offseason and that it would lead to more success and winning.
For a while, it looked like that might be true. Kelenic opened hot and through the end of April had a .982 OPS and 171 wRC+.
But once the slump hit, he never seemed to handle it well. The low point came in late July, when he broke his foot after kicking a Gatorade cooler in frustration.
Seattle traded him to Atlanta after the season, and he has had trouble sticking with a club since.
That’s why Crews should make the Mariners think twice, even if the deal makes sense in a vacuum. The Nationals may say they would "need to be blown away" by an offer, but that sounds more like posturing from a club that needs controllable starting pitching, something Seattle can supply.
If the Mariners decide to go after Crews, that’s their call. But Jerry Dipoto would be smart to keep Kelenic in mind before making the final move.
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