Before we get into the meat of things here, I want to start with a few basic statements.

1) Colt Emerson is a very good prospect for the Seattle Mariners.

2) Colt Emerson will be the shortstop of the Seattle Mariners in the future.

3) J.P. Crawford is the shortstop of the Seattle Mariners right now, despite the fact that he's regressed defensively since winning the Gold Glove in 2020. His throwing, in particular, was an issue in the second half of 2025. I recognize and understand that.

4) Emerson has an opportunity to make this team out of spring training, and if he does, it will be at third base, not shortstop. 

This all leads me to my next point.

I keep getting asked the question on social media: Why can't Crawford move positions for Emerson? Why can't Emerson play shortstop since he (may) be better than Crawford right now?

The answer? Because it doesn't work that way.

From the most recent 'Refuse to Lose' podcast:

Let me give you a little insight, as someone who's been around the team, who's someone who's talked to players, as someone who's been in the clubhouse. JP Crawford is a leader on this team. I believe he might be the most respected player in that clubhouse. There is a reason why they call him 'Cap.' Your leaders do not get moved for 20-year-olds who have 40 games above high A to their name and have zero big league experience. Your team leaders do not get moved for 20-year-olds with 40 games of experience above high A-ball. There is a hierarchy in baseball, and JP Crawford is at the very top of the Mariners clubhouse hierarchy, and Colt Emerson isn't anywhere close to it. He is going to have to earn his way to the middle of that hierarchy, and then he's going to have to earn his way to the top of the hierarchy, and it is not going to happen over the course of spring training

If Crawford is hitting .165 and leads the league in errors in July, then maybe we can have a different conversation. But for now? Not a chance.

We spoke to Buster Olney of ESPN on Thursday's 'Refuse to Lose' and he had this to say: 

"Well, it's not only about asking a player in your clubhouse to change positions for that player. It's a financial decision. Like for J.P. Crawford to essentially say, 'you know what? I'm no longer a shortstop.' There are a lot of financial implications for him given what he's got at stake as a potential free agent (after 2026).

Sometimes those conversations happen, but I can tell you, teams are very sensitive to this. The best example I can think of in recent years was two-three years ago, the Angels were talking about, thinking about internally about having Mike Trout move from center field to right field. But then Joe Maddon spoke to reporters and said, 'yeah, we might do this. We might move Trout out of center field, put him in right field.' And that was before they had spoken to him.

And so the Angels front office basically stepped in and said 'what are you doing? You can't do that.' And they blew up the plan, and they just were like, 'well, we're going to go status quo. Trout's still in center field.' Because there's a sensitivity to the idea of asking a veteran player who's got a lot of time in to change positions, it's a big deal.

And I suspect that if the Mariners actually were serious about that, those are conversations that would have started in November and not anytime in spring training."

Crawford is the M's longest tenured player, having made his debut with the franchise in 2019.

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