Twins Could Find Infield Alternative in Veteran Who Needs to Rebuild His Value

His plate discipline still allows him to contribute as a left-handed hitter, while the Twins look for alternatives to cover the infield behind Kaelen Culpepper.

Seattle Mariners infielder J.P. Crawford (3). Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He could be an interesting option if it is a matter of having a “B” plan in case the team’s main option, the talented shortstop who is just 23 years old, Kaelen Culpepper, falters.

I know the Minnesota Twins could make some moves in the infield if they cannot count on Culpepper full-time, such as sending Brooks Lee back to shortstop, which would open up a spot for Royce Lewis at third base, but would weaken two positions, something that could also lead to a certain offensive instability.

Versatility is something I have liked to a certain extent about these Minnesota players, most of them young players who have been gaining experience within the game while developing the ability to provide added value to the team.

I think that philosophy partly led to the Twins not bringing Josh Bell back and, probably, not spending much to make changes to their roster heading into the 2027 season. As I have written before, I would love to see an impact free agent like Brandon Lowe or the return of Luis Arraez to Minnesota to take care of second base, but I remain skeptical about the hopes of seeing a move of that magnitude become a reality.

Is J.P. Crawford Valuable Option to Add Infield Depth?

Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (3). Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Look, it depends on how we analyze the type of contribution the Twins could expect from him. Although he generally did not have a good year with the Seattle Mariners and his BABIP, one of the most important parts that make up his strength as a hitter, fell disproportionately from .318 to .253, as happened from 2023 (.314) to 2024 (.248), Crawford is still a useful hitter, as he continues to survive thanks to his great plate discipline.

While his contact lacked consistency this year, his walk rate reached the highest point of his career at 13.1%, which had a lot to do with him continuing to be an average player with a 105 wRC+.

He also provided that occasional power that sometimes surprises and hit 14 home runs, but ten of them came during the first half of the season. After the All-Star break, Crawford maintained his hard-contact production at the level he showed in the first half, but his Soft% rate increased from 14.4 to 21.2, without being able to fully take advantage of the slight adjustment he made to reduce his strikeouts.

Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (3). Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Overall, he was once again a hitter with high percentiles in Chase% (98), Whiffs% (86), BB% (92) and K% (59), but he could not maintain the progress he had in xBA after moving up to the 76th percentile last year, finishing at the 24th this time.

The other point against Crawford has been his terrible declining defense, with a drop from the 69th percentile in OAA in 2024 to the 1st over the last two seasons. Of course, his best version is not as terrible as the defensive evaluations of these last two seasons show, but he could not take enough advantage of his opportunities in Seattle to make the expected turnaround.

Although Crawford can still be a valuable player and has shown consistency as a left-handed hitter against pitchers from his same side —he posted a 110 wRC+ in 2026—, the most reasonable thing is that he will not receive many multi-year offers, since he will have to rebuild his value to probably return to the market.