Tim Beckham’s future with the Seattle Mariners became much more clear when the organization optioned J.P. Crawford to Triple-A Tacoma earlier this month.
While many have dubbed Crawford as Seattle’s shortstop of the not-so-distant future, Beckham is the shortstop of now.
The 29-year-old, on a one-year deal with the Mariners after signing as a free agent in January, responded by opening his 2019 season with two strong games in Japan. He went 5 for 7, scored four runs and emphatically flipped his bat after hitting a two-run homer in his third at-bat.
“It’s good anytime you can put together some good games — if it’s spring training, or no matter when it is,” Beckham said.