Reddit AMA: What's the vibe in Mariners' clubhouse lately?

Daniel Kramer, MLB.com’s Mariners beat reporter, held an “Ask Me Anything” this week on Reddit with Mariners fans at r/Mariners. This mailbag features excerpted questions and answers from that event (some lightly edited for clarity). The full AMA is available to read here.

As someone who spends time around the team, what do the vibes feel like in the locker room these last few weeks? They seem pretty lackluster through the TV, but I realize that might not be telling the whole story. What/who can give them a spark to finish strong?

Tuesday night’s loss to the Rays felt like the most dispirited the Mariners had seemed all season, evident in commentary from spokesman-type players such as Cal Raleigh, J.P. Crawford and Bryan Woo, who has seen his voice rise with much influence this season.

That said, what’s also stood out from this group has been its ability to flush brutal losses. That may not always show up the next day -- even on the untimely heels of a team meeting taking place before said defeat -- and it didn’t exactly help them each of the past two seasons down the stretch. But it’s a necessary mental attribute. Welling up and feeling bad for yourself will get you nowhere at this time of year.

As for who could step up, Woo’s blunt words really stood out. He’s only 25 years old and in his third season, but it was impressive to see him take ownership of himself while absorbing the entire team’s struggles, even name-dropping president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto in an effort to divert possible blame from the front office and instead put it on the players.

What is manager Dan Wilson’s approach to the team right now, and how is the team reacting to it? Is he going to be able to rally the troops after what is shaping up to be another bad road trip?

The losses wear on Wilson as much as anyone, especially in the moment. It’s obvious in how he addresses reporters after each -- beginning his opening statement by saying “tough one tonight” -- and which he embodies through his tone and body language. But it’s also in how he responds to questions, sometimes without giving distinct explanations for decision-making processes or specific player struggles.

Some of that ambiguity is by design -- it’s clear that he’s not going to indict players publicly, even if there are moments it might be warranted. And that’s a reason why players like him.

But there are also times where he seems overwhelmed -- and for how understandable that is when things are spiraling in a playoff push, it can also lead to broader questions about what takes place behind the scenes.

As cliché as it might sound for a struggling team calling a closed-doors meeting, and as inopportune as it was that they didn’t go on to win that night’s game, it was probably the necessary action and time to do so. And perhaps not coincidentally, Wilson had some of his most expressive answers to reporters pregame. Players spoke positively about the gathering over the past few days.

What is J.P. Crawford's future? ... Can Leo Rivas take over shortstop next year?

This is probably a more legitimate question now than it would’ve been a few months ago, but not at all in relation to Rivas’ status. It’s more so to Colt Emerson’s, and how rapidly the club’s No. 1 prospect by MLB Pipeline continues to rise.

Crawford has bounced back this season from a brutal 2024 and been an above-average hitter (109 wRC+, where league average is 100), though his glove has experienced more hiccups (he’s committed 10 errors and been worth minus-8 Outs Above Average, per Statcast). Perhaps more pressing is that he will also turn 31 in January and enter next season in the final year of a five-year, $51 million contract, with a $12 million salary for 2026.

Crawford remains a prominent clubhouse presence and has really brought along young infielders Cole Young and Ben Williamson. But there’s also the reality that the next young infielder is coming quickly, and Emerson has shown this season that he has the makings to stick at shortstop.

Now that Harry Ford is at the Major League level, what type of role will he play for the team? Will he play other positions besides catcher, and how much playing time will he really get?

The fact that Ford was out of the Mariners’ starting lineup for each of his first three games after he was called up for the first time was somewhat curious. Part of that could correlate to Seattle facing right-handed starters the first two games, and the possibility of him pushing his debut to this weekend in Atlanta, where he grew up, though the Braves are rolling out tough pitchers Chris Sale, Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Strider this weekend.

• What to expect from Ford, baseball's No. 2 catching prospect, in the bigs

How Ford has been deployed so far -- not at all -- might offer a hint to how the Mariners will use him down the stretch. They’re fighting for a playoff spot, and as those aspirations have taken a hit on this road trip, there’s more urgency to play established catchers Raleigh and Mitch Garver over finding a soft landing for a rookie to gain his footing.