Mariners' J.P. Crawford promise is already under strain amid defensive doom loop

Of all the problems that have afflicted the Mariners during their 16-19 start, bad defense is the one they might not run away from if they stick to the plan. Specifically, the plan to keep J.P. Crawford at shortstop.

After inking shortstop-of-the-future Colt Emerson to a $95 million contract, Jerry Dipoto was quick and intentional about making this exact promise. And it's hard to disagree with where his heart is. Crawford is the club's longest tenured player, so it goes without saying that he's a respected veteran who has earned his keep. And besides, he's in the final year of his contract.

But at this point, Dipoto's head must realize that Crawford's defense is a problem. And it seems to get worse by the game, whether it's courtesy of his post-injury noodle arm or his lack of range to his right — his error on a Salvador Perez grounder on Sunday rightfully had social media up in arms.

As for how Crawford fits into the broader narrative of Seattle's defense in 2026, which bad version of the story do you want?

Mariners' defensive struggle must force an uncomfortable J.P. Crawford-Colt Emerson debate

Defensive Runs Saved rates the club's defense positively, but that's pretty much all Cole Young. The Mariners rank dead-last in Outs Above Average. Crawford is one of four shortstops at -4 OAA or worse, and that's even though his 231.2 innings are easily the fewest of the bunch.

This is not how things were supposed to go for the Mariners on defense, and Crawford isn't the only one to blame. Julio Rodríguez has been weirdly ineffective in center field. And before he went on the injured list, Brendan Donovan wasn't exactly a nightly highlight reel at third base.

And yet, those problems have easy fixes. Julio likely just needs time to regress to his excellent norm. Donovan can be moved off third into his more customary utility role, which was also part of the plan Dipoto outlined in April.

It's the commitment to Crawford part that is feeling less and less tenable. His defense has been declining pretty much ever since he won a Gold Glove in 2020, and it's impossible to sugarcoat it. His -35 OAA since 2022 places him last among American League shortstops.

Emerson, meanwhile, does something special in the field regularly for Triple-A Tacoma. He's clearly the best defender the Mariners can plug at shortstop right now, though the club's loyalty to Crawford admittedly isn't the only reason to hold off. Emerson recently missed some action with a wrist issue, and he's been striking out at nearly a 30 percent clip this season.

The Mariners are already paying Emerson, though, and the reality is that they need his glove more than they need his bat.

In an ideal world, he would come up and settle into a low-stakes role in the No. 9 spot in the order. He could focus on forming a dynamic double play combo with Young, with Crawford and Donovan moving into some kind of time share at third base and designated hitter, with Donovan also seeing time in the outfield.

Once Bryce Miller is back and Kade Anderson starts nudging into the conversation, the Mariners know the pitching is going to be there. Assuming Cal Raleigh isn't seriously hurt and Julio Rodríguez and Josh Naylor keep swinging it like they have been, the offense is going to be there, too.

Especially given that its "good enough" isn't actually good enough, defense is the one area where the Mariners need to consider getting proactive. And right now, that should mean questioning what their loyalty to Crawford is costing them.

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