Mariners sign Crawford to a five-year contract

The Seattle Mariners signed Gold Glove shortstop J.P. Crawford to a $51 million, five-year contract on Friday.

Crawford, 27, had agreed last month to a $4.85 million, oneyear deal and would have been eligible for free agency after the 2024 season. He gets a $5 million signing bonus and $5 million salary this year, $10 million in each of the following three seasons and $11 million in 2026.

“I love Seattle. I’ve loved it ever since I put on that jersey for the first time,” said Crawford, who was drafted 16th overall by the Philadelphia Phillies out of Lakewood High in 2013. “I’ve really wanted to stay here ever since then.”

Crawford has been a standout defensive player since being acquired by the Mariners before the start of the 2019 season. He won a Gold Glove in 2020 and was a finalist for last season.

He set career highs with a .273 batting average, nine homers and 54 RBIs last season.

NUMBER OF FOREIGN PLAYERS REMAINS STEADY >> More than 28% of MLB players were born outside the 50 states for the second straight season.

MLB said that 275 of 975 players on expanded 28-man, opening-day rosters, injured lists and the restricted list were born outside the 50 states.

The percentage was 28.2%, down from 28.3% last year and 28.4% in 2020, when the active limit expanded from 25 to 30 during the pandemic before resetting at 26 last year. The active limit this season begins at 28.

The Dominican Republic led with 99 players, followed by Venezuela with 67 and Cuba with 23. Puerto Rico was next with 16, followed by Mexico (13), Canada (12), Colombia (10), Japan (seven), Panama (six), Curaçao (five), South Korea (four) and Bahamas (three).

Aruba, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Honduras, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Taiwan and U.S. Virgin Islands had one each.