Shortstop for the Mariners JP Crawford he was getting work at the hot corner and was taking grounders there before today’s game. Daniel Kramer of MLB.com was among those to report that the idea was brought up by Crawford, who spoke with manager Dan Wilson about the possibility this weekend. Crawford’s agent was then handled by general manager Justin Hollander. All parties seem to be on board to see what it might look like.
Crawford’s openness to sliding at shortstop comes in tandem with a high profile Colt Emerson to reach higher positions. Seattle inked the 20-year-old to an eight-year, $95MM contract before he made a single plate appearance in the majors. Emerson made his big league debut earlier this week and immediately put the ball over the right field fence, making his big league debut with a three-run fly. The 2023 first-rounder (No. 22 overall) is currently the third-ranked prospect in the entire game, per Baseball America.
Emerson has played third base and shortstop in his first three major league games, but has spent the majority of his career at shortstop (2074 innings, compared to 175 at third base). The Mariners certainly see him as their shortstop of the future — especially since Crawford will be a free agent at the end of the season.
From Crawford’s point of view, the experiment makes good sense. It’s the first option for the team in the short term, allowing Emerson to perhaps claim a spot the Mariners hope he’ll hold well in the 2030s, but it also expands his defense’s versatility before his first trip to the open market. Crawford’s defensive grades have declined in recent years, especially during last season. If he can successfully come out of the hot corner, that will make him even more attractive while Emerson adjusts to the higher ranks in his natural position.
Third base isn’t entirely new to Crawford, but it’s been a while since he’s seen any game action there. He has 174 innings at the position in his career, all of which came in 2017-18 with the Phillies – the team that originally drafted him. He has another minor league 78 innings at the position.
While there is an opportunity now to check things out, a move to third base may not be an option for Crawford just yet. Placed by the Mariners Brendan Donovan on IL for 10 days due to hip stiffness this week. He will be completely sidelined for two to three weeks before he can resume baseball activity. It doesn’t appear that he has a long-term suspension.
A healthy Donovan could return to third base, but he’s also comfortable playing second base and the corner outfield. Cole Young was good at second base but did not hold the position with outstanding performance. Outfield/DH options such as Dominic Canzone again Luke Raley they have good season numbers but have started to cool off after the start of the 2026 campaign. Time will tell how they all fare in a few weeks, but there are instances when Donovan pitches to a position other than third base — the only position he’s played so far in 2026.
Crawford, 31, is in the final season of a five-year, $51MM contract. He missed time early on with a shoulder injury and was recently slowed by a triceps issue that looks set to send him to the injured list. He was originally supposed to play shortstop and go to Seattle, but the Mariners scratched him a few hours before the first game. He came in at a hot .210 average but rode a career-best 16.5% walk rate to a whopping .358 on-base percentage.
This year’s low batting average is primarily due to a .220 batting average that is 70 points above the league average and Crawford’s career .293 batting average. He’s actually hitting less than he used to (and less than he’s walking), at a rate of 15.9%. Crawford’s batted ball metrics and bat speed line up well with his average levels. Statcast credits him with an expected .256 batting average and .418 slugging percentage, suggesting better days at the plate may not be so far off.
