J.P. Crawford was a late scratch before Wednesday’s series finale against the White Sox, as the triceps issue stemming from a hit by pitch in the last series with the Padres continues to bother him. Pregame he was seen pointing out the sore area to Cole Young, playfully poking the young second baseman in the same spot, before settling in to take his daily defensive drills with Perry Hill.
It’s the kind of leadership and attention to young players Crawford has demonstrated during his entire tenure
as a Mariner, something that will intensify when Crawford is able to return to play – although not, perhaps, where Mariners fans are used to seeing him. While going through those drills, Crawford walked to third base instead of his usual position at short.
Per Mariners GM Justin Hollander, Crawford’s agent reached out to him about the possibility of playing third base, saying he wanted to do whatever was necessary to help the team win. Crawford reportedly approached Dan Wilson directly with the same proposition.
Whether you rely on the eye test or on defensive stats, it’s been a struggle for Crawford at shortstop this year. With a Fielding Run Value of -5, Crawford ranks in the bottom five of all defenders in MLB; his Defensive Runs Saved mark of -7 is also bottom-five in the bigs. If you’ve just been relying on the eye test, you’ve seen the throws that have gone off-target at first, most cleaned up by Josh Naylor – not anything that would show up in defensive stats, but uncomfortable nonetheless. Crawford missed time this spring with a lingering shoulder issue, which might be impacting his accuracy. There have been times this season where Crawford’s body language has shown visible disappointment or frustration after making an off-target throw or mishandling a ball. Crawford’s defense has attracted enough negative attention that it’s even been the focus of various segments on the local talk radio stations; it’s fair to call it a noticeable issue.
But it’s not so simple as just pulling Crawford off the position that’s been his for as long as he’s been a Mariner. He’s the Mariners leader in games played at shortstop, surpassing Alex Rodriguez last season, and a future Mariners Hall of Famer. He’s the longest-tenured Mariner, the one they call “Captain,” the steady hand that’s overseen the transition of this team from rebuild to an ALCS appearance.
Now, it seems Crawford is prepared to enter a new phase of his Mariners tenure. If he does take over at third, it will be an echo of the start of his career, when Philadelphia tried to convert him from a primary shortstop to a hybrid shortstop-third baseman. Crawford struggled defensively in Philly, and later said that coming to Seattle to work with Perry Hill “saved his career.” Now, if Crawford transitions to third base, it will be his decision.
If he does take up the mantle at the hot corner, Crawford’s career as a Mariner will likely end mirroring the player who mentored him during his time, one of the best third baseman in Mariners history, Kyle Seager. It’s especially fitting because as Seager poured so much into Crawford as a young player, so does Crawford pay it forward with his young infielders Cole Young and Colt Emerson.
“J.P. is a selfless player,” said Dan Wilson. “He’ll go wherever anybody needs him to go.”
