Ranking the 10 worst contracts in the AL West

6) Worst contracts in the AL West: J.P. Crawford

J.P. Crawford signed a five-year $51 million dollar extension to stay in Seattle prior to the 2022 campaign. That deal bought out the rest of his arbitration including two free agency years.

At the time, I thought this was a decent deal for both sides. After Crawford's 2022, I believe it's more favorable to the player than the organization.

The 27-year-old slashed .243/.339/.336 with six home runs and 42 RBI. His OPS was 40 points lower than it was in 2021 and stood at a below-average .675.

Like Fletcher, Crawford lacks power. He set his career high in longballs last season with nine. For him to be productive offensively, he'd have to get on base a lot. Crawford did draw 68 walks which is a solid number, but he only hit .243. His .339 OBP wasn't awful but isn't great either.

Crawford's 100 OPS+ was exactly league average and it's thanks in large part to his walks. Because Crawford didn't hit much, he hit in the bottom of the order so he only scored 57 runs.

Crawford could make up for his lackluster offensive year with good defense at a premium position but he regressed very hard. In 2020, Crawford was in the 98th percentile in outs above average according to baseball savant. That number dropped to the 56th percentile in 2021. This past season, he ranked in the 1st percentile. He had a -3 DRS at shortstop.

The Mariners really didn't get much from Crawford this season and they have him locked up for another four seasons guaranteed. With top prospect Noelvi Marte traded, the Mariners will have to hope Crawford improves in the field and at the plate in the future. At his age, he should be entering his prime.