Buster Olney isn’t buying the surprise around the Mariners’ decision to move on from JP Crawford.
On the latest “Refuse to Lose Territory” podcast, the ESPN MLB insider said Seattle’s stance makes sense when you look at what Crawford actually brings right now.
“No, and I’ll tell you why. Because I don’t think that teams these days, um, you look at the offensive performance of last year and you would assume that, given his age, there’s the chance that it’s not going to necessarily get better as you go forward.
I think teams want their bench players to have some acute tool. And if you’re looking at JP right now as a player, I think from the Mariners’ perspective, you might be asking the question, what is his acute tool that he’s bringing to the table?
Can he mash against lefties? Can he mash against righties?
Is he an elite defender? Is he a guy you could stick in and he could steal your base?
Is he a power hitter you can bring off the bench?
It doesn’t feel like that he necessarily checks any of those boxes.”
That’s the crux of it. Crawford has been a useful player, but Olney’s point is that he doesn’t really jump out in one specific area, especially if Seattle is viewing him as a reserve rather than an everyday starter.
There’s still a case to be made for what Crawford offered the Mariners. He hit 14 home runs in just 116 games last season, and his on-base percentage was more than 100 points higher than his batting average. Even with his defense no longer at its peak, he still gives a team some flexibility at shortstop or third base.
Still, the Mariners seem to have decided that his overall package no longer fits as a regular part of the mix.
Crawford’s Seattle run was a long one. Acquired before the 2019 season, he spent eight eight years with the Mariners after two years with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Now nearing 32, he has played the most games at shortstop in franchise history. He won a Gold Glove in 2020 and owns a career line of .245 with 81 home runs and 384 RBIs.
His best power season came in 2023, when he hit a career-high 19 homers and led the American League with 94 walks.
And while some have pushed back on the idea, Crawford still has a path to Seattle’s Hall of Fame someday.
The Mariners, meanwhile, are out of the general manager’s meetings and looking to get something done before the likely Dec. 1 lockout. One name they seem focused on is free agent slugger Seiya Suzuki, who spent the last five years with the Chicago Cubs. Seattle is reportedly trying to line up an in-person meeting with Suzuki before the lockout begins.
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