Mariners tell J.P. Crawford they won’t bring him back for 2027, ending his Seattle run

The Seattle Mariners have told veteran infielder J.P. Crawford they do not intend to bring him back for the 2027 season, according to a report confirmed by ’s Mark Feinsand. The team has not issued an official comment on the decision, the report said.

Crawford, 31, played out his first free-agent opportunity after finishing a five-year, $51 million contract he signed with Seattle on Opening Day 2022. The report says he became a free agent for the first time in his career last week.

While Crawford had expressed interest in returning and said earlier in the year he wanted to remain with the Mariners, the report describes that Seattle’s late-season direction suggested the club was moving toward a change.

The piece also ties the transition to the fit issues the Mariners faced going into 2027. It notes that defensively Crawford’s shortstop production had declined, and it points to Cole Young at second base and expected third-base reps for Brendan Donovan, creating uncertainty about where Crawford would land.

Crawford’s departure also closes a long chapter in Seattle. The report characterizes him as the Mariners’ longest-tenured active player last season and the last remaining holdover from the group that was in place when the franchise started its first true rebuild eight years ago.