Seattle Mariners make commitment to J.P. Crawford

It is not a secret that the Seattle Mariners front office is high on J.P. Crawford. Although they were eyeing some of the top shortstops in free agency this offseason, the plan was to move them to second base in deference to Crawford. The 2020 AL Gold Glove winner had improved his defense to the point where he was entrenched at the position.

As such, it is not a surprise that the Mariners would look to lock Crawford in for the long term. They did exactly that on Friday as he reportedly signed a five year deal worth $51 million.

Seattle Mariners put money where mouth is with J.P. Crawford

Crawford had been expected to be the shortstop of the future – in Philadelphia. He was a consensus top 100 prospect from 2015 through 2018, someone who was expected to solidify the position for years to come. Instead, he was part of the deal that sent Jean Segura to the Phillies, with the Mariners hoping that Crawford could live up to his potential.

He certainly has defensively. Crawford has saved 14 runs at short over the past two years, a distinct improvement from his time in Philadelphia when he had been a liability with the glove. It was now a matter of the offense catching up with the glove.

Last season gives the Mariners hope that the bat is finally there. He posted a respectable .273/.338/.376 batting line in his 687 plate appearances, hitting 37 doubles and nine triples. It marked the first time that Crawford had posted an OPS+ that was better than league average.

At 27 years old, and just entering his prime, there is still room for him to grow. It is entirely possible that his offensive production and his defense will continue to improve. The Mariners clearly expect that will be the case as they have Crawford locked up throughout his theoretical prime.

The Seattle Mariners have their long term answer at shortstop locked into place. J.P. Crawford has signed a five year extension to keep him home.