Who doesn’t love a family reunion? The Philadelphia Phillies need some infield help this offseason, and there aren't many appealing options on the free-agent market. But reuniting with old friend J.P. Crawford, who would have the opportunity to play alongside his cousin, Justin, could solve more than one problem.
A first-round draft pick in 2013 under the Ruben Amaro Jr. administration, Crawford made his big-league debut four years later in 2017. Over two seasons with the Phillies, he appeared in 72 total games, slashing .214/.333/.358 with 17 extra-base hits. That may not have been terribly impressive production, but at just 23 years old, he still showed promise.
The Seattle Mariners valued that potential, making a deal to acquire Crawford—and Carlos Santana—in December 2018 in exchange for Jean Segura, Juan Nicasio, and James Pazos. While Segura would go on to become a key contributor during the Phillies’ 2022 pennant run, it took a little while for Crawford to find his sea legs with the Mariners, but once he did, he became a core piece of their squad.
Over eight seasons in Seattle, the 31-year-old posted a solid .247/.340/.367 line with 265 extra-base hits in 974 games. Crawford has played shortstop almost exclusively throughout his Mariners tenure, earning a Gold Glove Award in 2020. Unfortunately, his defense has dropped off dramatically in recent years, leading the M’s to give him some run at the hot corner this past season.
Old friend J.P. Crawford could be a nice buy-low addition for the Phillies
That versatility could come in quite handy for the Phillies, who are most likely going to lose longtime third baseman Alec Bohm in free agency this winter. Bringing in Crawford would give them an experienced stopgap until top prospect Aidan Miller arrives, with the added benefit of being able to handle shortstop in a pinch.
Now, it’s important to note that the Phillies would not exactly be acquiring Crawford at the peak of his powers. The Californian has never hit for much power, but he’s become a roughly league-average offensive producer throughout the years, and even threw in an .818 OPS over 145 contests back in 2023. He was still passable in 2025 with a .722 mark, but fell flat this past season with a paltry .687 OPS over 116 games.
J.P. Crawford isn’t going to radically alter the Phillies’ outlook for the 2027 season. If he’s the only addition they make to an offense that needs multiple reinforcements, they’ll be in serious trouble. However, the good news is that Crawford doesn’t have to be treated as a big addition.
Coming off a down season, and with his once-stellar glovework declining, he likely won’t receive high-value multi-year offers. It wouldn’t be the worst idea for the Phillies to scoop him up on a cheap one-year deal to see if he has anything left in the tank. A heartwarming story of a former top prospect coming back into the fold, not to mention suiting up alongside his cousin, would give every fan something to root for.
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