Clarity on J.P. Crawford exit only raises more questions about Mariners' infield plan

It seems that J.P. Crawford's early exit from Game 162 of the Seattle Mariners' 2026 season really was a final goodbye. The door won't be closed until he officially signs with another team, but the Mariners have all but told him to move on.

According to Adam Jude and Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, the Mariners have informed Crawford that they do not plan to bring him back for 2027. After all he's done for the franchise, not leaving Crawford hanging onto false hopes of a return to Seattle is the right thing to do. That this has gotten out also feels like a deliberate effort to set expectations for fans who wanted him back.

A reunion with Crawford seemed like a reasonable play for the Mariners before Jude's and Divish's reporting went live. As Jude had previously reported, the Mariners are seeking a "veteran infielder who can play either third base or shortstop." Crawford is one of few free agents who fits that bill, and his projected price tag isn't out of even the Mariners' comfort zone.

If not J.P. Crawford, then who will the Mariners get to pair with Colt Emerson on the infield?

Jude and Divish had even more to report on Tuesday, and it's not exactly reassuring as far as the left side of the infield is concerned.

According to their sources, the Mariners are not expected to be in the bidding for Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato, who is mainly a third baseman. He's another guy whose price range could be within the Mariners' comfort zone, but his iffy defense and whiff-prone swing from the left side seem to be a bridge too far for Seattle's front office.

Jude and Divish otherwise raise Gunnar Henderson as a trade possibility, only to then throw cold water on the idea. The Baltimore Orioles' asking price is perceived as “exorbitant." That's out of whack with his diminishing returns since his superstar-caliber 2023 season, and thus not ideal for a Mariners team that needs certainty on the left side of the infield.

So, the question poses itself: Who is still in play?

Sans Crawford and Sato in the mix, the selection of left-side infielders on the open market is pretty slim. Mauricio Dubón is a hypothetical fit. So is Edmundo Sosa as a sort of poor man's Dubón. But after them is when you get into guys like Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Orlando Arcia, which should be a no-go zone. The Mariners can, should and must want to do better than that.

You have to wonder if the trade market is ultimately where the Mariners will find the infielder they seek. There are hypothetical options aplenty, including pie-in-the-sky types like Elly De La Cruz and actual attainable stars like Zach Neto. Among the lesser sort, well, one wouldn't mind a trade for Joey Ortiz… especially if Trevor Megill also comes along from Milwaukee.

Even so, it makes for an unsettling start to the offseason that we know more about who's not likely to end up on the Mariners. Agents and rival executives hear this stuff, too. Any advantage they have could be a disadvantage for the Mariners, and it could result in their pickiness forcing them to pay a premium for other options.

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