The Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball announced that they have signed outfielder Gregory Polanco for the 2023 season. This will be the second straight year in Japan for Polanco, who played for the Yomiuri Giants in 2022.
Polanco, 31, was a highly-touted prospect with the Pirates and emerged as a valuable piece of their club in the middle parts of the previous decade. An all-around player, Polanco posted double-digit stolen base totals in four of the five season from 2014 to 2018, as well as getting to double digits in home runs three times. His best offensive season was 2018, when he hit 23 home runs and stole 12 bases in 130 games. He finished that campaign with a .254/.340/.499 batting line for a wRC+ of 123.
However, that season was ended when Polanco injured himself on an awkward slide. He dislocated his left shoulder and suffered a bone bruise in his left knee and seemingly wasn’t himself afterwards. He was limited to just 42 games in 2019 and hit at a below-average level when on the field. He generally stayed on the field in 2020 and 2021 but hit just .191/.261/.345 over those two seasons.
Polanco was likely going to be limited to minor league contracts if he stayed in North America for 2022 but instead went to Yomiuri. He got into 138 games for the Giants, hitting 24 home runs and producing a batting line of .240/.306/.457. That performance was solid enough to get him another NPB job in 2023, though he’ll be moving to a new club.
Despite the many ups and downs in his career, Polanco is still just 31 years old and could return to the majors at some point if he stays healthy and continues producing in Japan.
I was hoping that Gregory Polanco would take over Reynolds spot on the Pirates to give Pittsburgh hope once that trade reportly happens.
I’d rather have Van Meter than Polanco
SMH
Never saw a ball in the dirt that he didn’t like.
He seemed to never keep his head in the game either, and it cost the Pirates more than not.
True. VanMeter can pitch.
Another guy who couldn’t make the adjustment once the league caught onto him.
I read it too quickly and thought it said Polanco to the Mariners, and I was like thank you Jerry you just made my off-season. So close to clicking SUBMIT on the season ticket package but then read the headline more carefully and was like bummer.
I am thinking Sarcastic versus Ignorant 🙂
All of his slides were awkward.
C-That is because I think that he had an awkward body.I think that he was strong and a fairly good athlete but limited for a baseball player.He never seemed to have the fundamentals down and baseball savvy to get any better.His body parts did not seem to be well coordinated.I also think that giving those big contracts when they are very young is good for Cutch and Marte but not so much for someone who is not as motivated to get very good like Polanco and not aggressive in doing so.
Was finally putting things together until the slide from hell. After the shoulder injury he could no longer throw with any strength (used to have a cannon) and I think it affected how he could swing the bat.
You will be remembered.
GREGORY POLANCO TO JOIN THE MARINES !!
The hell happened to him? Kid was a stud seemingly just yesterday
Tore his shoulder up with the ugly slide that ended his season in 2018.. Had a cannon for an arm prior to the injury but lost the power in his throws. Still was accurate but took forever for the ball to get to the infield. Seemed like he lost some of the ability to adjust to breaking pitches. If he guessed right, still had the power to send the ball well over the wall in any stadium. Could make contact if he adjusted his swing on breaking pitches but seemed like if he could not just rip at the ball, he would lose power when he did not make clean, decisive contact with the ball.
I thought he Cutch and Marte would STILL be out there together. And don’t forget Tabata! They had so much talent out there.
Tabata was another weird injury thing. He broke a hamate bone in his left hand during the 2011 season and it seamed like what power he did have was gone. when he came back.
True he tore his shoulder but the Pirates didn’t help matters by bringing him back too soon.
Don’t really want him to return to majors , saw too much already.
Hopefully he can find traction overseas and show scouts he can still play the game. He might be a DH guy if he can bomb balls out of the park. 30 times will be looking for a DH next year
One thing is in Japan you will learn to hit breaking pitches or you won’t be around long!
Which of all Polancos is this again?
Looks like he has improved, might get a major league deal in the 2023 off season.
I miss the days when Bobby V managed the Marines. Not too many character managers nowadays, thanks to analytics and replay. Another loss for baseball culture.
Not enough discipline to become a Marine!
Seriously, I am shocked that he did ok in 2022 at NPB. Nothing against him, he just looked finished.
The 24 Home Runs he hit for Yomiuri last season was the same amount he hit for the Pirates over his last three seasons in Pittsburgh combined
“The 24 Home Runs he hit for Yomiuri last season was the same amount he hit for the Pirates over his last three seasons in Pittsburgh combined”
And yet Yomiuri didn’t resign him. Like in MLB, I don’t think low OBP guys last long in Japan, even if the sluggish percentage is ok/good
I don’t think low “sluggish” percentage plays anywhere
I miss his attitude. He always seemed genuinely excited when his teammates did something well. Thought he was one of the nice guys in baseball. Unfortunately, his abilities faltered.
Skeptical-I think that he was always a nice guy but I think that the money enabled him to rest on his laurels to some extent without being lazy about it and in the end he was reduced to just a high priced cheerleader.
Mendoza, I disagree. He tried and made some bad decisions such as the off season where he bulked up. More bulk diminished his skills. He “de-bulked” but injury came afterwards.
I’m not saying that he was lazy or he didn’t try but he always seemed to me to have too casual of an approach to being the best in the world so we will have to agree to disagree.