The Mariners on Friday declined their $12MM club option on second baseman Jorge Polanco, per a team announcement. He’ll be paid a $750K buyout and become a free agent. The M’s also announced that infielder Luis Urias went unclaimed on outright waivers and elected free agency. Their 40-man roster is currently at 36 players.
Seattle acquired the switch-hitting Polanco from the Twins last offseason in a trade sending reliever Justin Topa, veteran righty Anthony DeSclafani, prospects Gabriel Gonzalez and Darren Bowen, and cash back to Minnesota. The hope at the time was that the steady Polanco would solidify what had been a revolving door at second base for two seasons in Seattle. Instead, Polanco became the latest notable veteran to arrive in Seattle and see his offensive production unexpectedly decline in swift fashion.
Polanco hit .270/.338/.455 in nearly 2700 plate appearances with the Twins from 2018-23, only once posting below-average offense in a season (2020). He’d incurred some injury troubles in the two years immediately preceding the swap but was entering his age-30 season. There was little reason to expect a steep decline at the plate, but that’s exactly what played out. Polanco, a 2019 All-Star, got out to an awful .197/.285/.298 slash through the first three months of the season. He picked up the pace considerably in July, but by that point there was little salvaging his season. He wound up with career-lows in batting average (.213) and on-base percentage (.298). His .355 slugging percentage was exactly one point higher than his career-worst .354 from that shortened 2020 season.
The career-worst showing at the plate for Polanco was at least in part due to knee troubles. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported a couple weeks back that Polanco was slated to undergo surgery to repair the patellar tendon in his left knee. That’s the same knee that landed Polanco on the injured list for the final month of the 2022 season and for the first three weeks of the 2023 campaign. Depending on the extent to which the injury has been nagging him, it’s certainly possible that a healthier Polanco could return to form in short order next season. It’s not yet clear exactly how long he’ll need to recover, but if Polanco is expected back on time for Opening Day 2025, he ought to command a one-year deal with incentives this offseason.
As for Urias, this is the second time the Mariners passed him through waivers. He accepted an outright assignment last time around, as electing free agency following his midseason outright would’ve required forfeiting the remainder of his salary. He’s no longer on a guaranteed deal, however, and was arbitration-eligible — with a projected $5MM salary (via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz). The M’s were never likely to pay that price a second time, leaving Urias as one of the more clear-cut non-tender candidates in the league. Today’s outright is tantamount to non-tendering him a couple weeks ahead of the deadline to do so.
Urias, 27, was one of the top prospects in baseball during his minor league days with the Padres. He had a pair of solid seasons following a trade to the Brewers, hitting a combined .244/.340/.426 in 2021-22. However, Urias’ production tanked with a .194/.337/.299 slash in 2023, and he wasn’t able to get back on track in 2024, hitting only .191/.303/.394. He’s capable of playing multiple infield spots but is better suited at second and third base than at shortstop. A team seeking a right-handed utility infielder could look to Urias on a minor league deal or perhaps a low-cost one-year pact with some incentives baked in.
Normally I’d be super into the start of the offseason but my interest is still recovering from that pathetically massive collapse and rethinking all the years of being a flex member
I’ll always love my team and I’ll always watch and stay tuned in. And I know that there’s a lot of fans out there that would beg for the young core and pitching that we have.
But man, what a huge letdown. I sold all my September tickets to avoid the in person pain. And of course….they kept it close ALL SEASON. Just brutal
I’ve never felt a comment so much before. I’m with you. But the fan in me won’t let me not be curious about how Jerry will construct this team for 2025. I think we will be in for a bumpy ride.
This is really well said sir. I grew up in Sequim as a fan since 1988. Liverpool in sultan now. I watch/follow daily. I feel ya on the thoughts. I’d be a season member if I lived closer to downtown. But I’d question my thoughts
Jerry Dipoto has quietly solidified his status as the “King of lateral trades”. Nuff said.
It’s true. Some things he does well, but he tries too hard to be savvy far too often.
Wrong. Second only to the braves in greater war than trade partner (on average) since 2012.
So he’s a genius who has made the playoffs once in 9 years?
Agree 100%. He’s getting pretty good at creatively dumping bad contracts though, I will give him that.
Crazy they gave up a pretty good prospect in gabriel gonzalez to get him. Gonzalez missed a good portion of the year but his ceiling is still immense. This one could get ugly
@cr4..Normally, I suggest that teams proceed towards expenditures with caution and lean on the draft(and trades & international signings)to acquire players. But, in my honest opinion, the M’s might be too cautious and might end up wasting a nice young pitching core in it’s prime.
Immense? He’s a 5’9, 230 lb corner outfielder with approach issues
5 11” 165lbs according to his profile provided on this very article. Click on his name.
Eh. Stranger things have happened but the odds Gonzalez becomes a star are slim. He was the “top” prospect most M’s fans were open to moving last offseason for a reason and didn’t really produce to the point that it made M’s fans feel regret.
Meanwhile, Topa was injured (did he even come back?), DeSclafani missed the season, and Bowman imploded.
Yeah M’s didnt give up too much for Polanco. Gonzalez is falling down the prospect rankings and if still in M’s org he’d be behind 2 other OF prospects in their rankings. His ceiling is probably a 4th OF.
Immense upside might be a stretch, he was never even a 65+ grade prospect. This last season he batted a middling 720ish OPS in rookie and A ball. Odds are he doesn’t even become a platoon player at the MLB level.
So nuclear sizes holes at 1B, 2B, 3B and JP struggling at SS..
Jerry, how will you respond??
Patchwork trades and non tender fliers like Urias and Kolten Wong
And plenty of Jonathan India trade rumors.
I might be crazy, but I’ve been wanting them to trade for India for a while now. Then again, I realize ballpark he plays half his games in and that makes me rethink it.
“So nuclear sizes holes at 1B, 2B, 3B and JP struggling at SS.”
twozero6ix;
LOL
Yes. That’s the thing.
But M fans come on here and write that if ownership would just spend a little more money the team could go over the top.
You have very good pitching which is made to look better than it is by playing in one of the best pitchers parks in MLB. A sensational Catcher – don’t care what he hits. A toolsy CF that got bitten by the celebrity bug (e.g. marketing his brand) and his game and health have not progressed. Arozarena has peaked – the Rays always sell high. Robles had been a hot prospect for years. If he keeps playing at the level he did for half a season you may have true star at age 27.
Jerry did the ‘tear it down to the studs’ and ‘rebuild from the ground up’ twice in Seattle (and once in LA – which failed). Baseball is not a sport with free substitution and a clock. To win constantly teams have to have balance. Dipoto teams never have. They act like many of the posters on here: “Just get those 2-3 stars and somehow everything will work out”. Not much different than Hal and Cashman that brought in Soto to go with Judge, and didn’t take into account that 7 other guys get pretty much the same number at bats….and that fielding and baserunning matters.
Same stuff. Different team. And the Yankees aren’t “cheap”….
baseball dumb, but not cheap.
“Not much different than Hal and Cashman…” are you listening to yourself? The Yankees just played in the World Series, something the Mariners have never even sniffed.
Jeff McNeil
Brandon Lowe
Donovan (STL)
Polanco has nearly a combined 10 WAR over his last 4 seasons. He could be a very nice signing for some team.
31 years old and just had patellar surgery, it is a huge risk. Especially for payroll concerned teams.
You have a bad season in Seattle and then you go somewhere else and swing a strong bat the next season. That’s how it goes and that’s how this likely will go. Mariners Baseball. Hey now.
Have patience M’s fans, your roster could improve rapidly and is an organization I’d be highly leveraged if they were a stock. Colt Emerson was great in the AFL as a very young 19yo, the guy is going to be really good and make Polanco & Urias distant memories eventually. The pitching half of the equation looks fantastic and the position group could be improved through one or two trades (eg, Nico Hoerner & Luis Robert could soon be teammates in SEA).
No thanks on Robert, hip injuries are notoriously difficult to come back from.
Thank God! They sucked.
Ok. Time to get this position right. J. Polanco, K. Wong, Shed Long, Adam Frazier, etc. Dipoto and Hollander have an opportunity for a do over. let’s do this right for the upcoming 2025 season. Get a difference maker. Spend, trade, do what you need to do. Brandon Lowe. Nico Hoerner. etc. OR BETTER. Hoerner is 27, Lowe is 30. There is better out there but lets’ get it right.
Lowe would be a good choice since he has capable power and is on a 1 year deal. Cole Young is around the corner so I doubt we look for a long-term option.
I agree. I think Young is a 2026 arrival. I hope. If they are waiting for he and Cole Emerson at SS then make a big splash at 1B and 3B and do the Moore/Rojas platoon for 2025. Would love Guerrero Jr at 1B, if he is not made available, go get Naylor from the Guardians. Diaz from the Rays as the 3rd option at 1B for me. But have to make a big splash at at least two of the three infield positions for 2025 and get a 8th-9th inning reliever to go with Munoz. Tanner Scott would be a dream. You could possible trade for Griffin Jax or Jhoan Duran from the Twins. I think a lot of 8th-9th inning relievers are available for the right price.
Young is likely a 2025 arrival. He’s probably ready either to start season or will be early in season.
I hope so. That would be great but I don’t think he showed enough in Arkansas this past year to make that jump. I hope so though.
I’ll take that bet.
He didn’t dominate AA. He (Young) struggled to make adjustments and the little power he has all but disappeared in the second half.
He was just 20 years old for most of the season. He’s young. Very likely he starts 2025 in AA.
I could see him starting in AA as well but I don’t see him playing the entire season in minors. If so, then he probably isn’t a legit prospect as top prospects don’t play multiple seasons at AA and above. If Mariners go out and get a 2B on a multi year deal then maybe thats the case but I’d assume they get a vet on short deal and hope Young makes the jump to majors in 2025.
That’s not how it works.
Spending his age 21 season in the minors wouldn’t weigh negatively on him at all. In fact, it should be expected. It’s his ability to adapt and produce that will be more telling.
Nobody is really talking about this, but Seattle’s window is limited. They might move him for a player they can win with now (and that wouldn’t weigh negatively on Young, either).
If he stays, and dominates, sure, he could be a late-season call-up. But I would hope Seattle has learned their lesson with premature promotions.
Sign me up for Naylor. Im not sure why M’s fans are being so picky about the impact bat at this point. Naylor has great reason to want to get in better shape this offseason since he’ll hit free agency after next season.
Even if he produced the same, he would be a massive upgrade over what we had at 1B this year. It would allow Raley to play some corner OF, too.
Luke Raley as a first baseman last season…
.248/.352/.560; 162 wRC+
I may be wrong, but I don’t think they’re going to prioritize 1B. I think ah offseason of work and spring with Perry Hill can clean up the defensive shortcomings.
They do need a DH, though. It’s just hard to see them trading prospect capital for a DH, and I’m not so sure Cleveland is really willing to move Naylor, anyway.
I’m perfectly okay with a platoon at 1B as long as there aren’t any other platoons.
Hoerner is not a difference maker nor is Lowe. Not that I don’t think they are good but many bash JP who had very similar season to Nico and better years in the recent past
21 HR’s in only 380 AB’s is difference making in my opinion.
So ignore the injuries, k rate, and below average defense because he hit homeruns? Sounds like a Mariners approach
Yes and the financially conservative Rays think so little of him that they just picked up his $10.5 million option…..
Lowe (oft injured) would be the perfect guy to replace Polanco!
Polanco is so underated its crazy. Even though things did not work out in Seattle, it doesn’t mean that hes a bad player. I think hes going to be one of the biggest surprises next year, as I can see him getting some MVP votes. A lot of great hitters have had pretty poor seasons on Seattle as of late like Teoscar Hernandez and the guy they traded to Arizona (forgot his name). If I had to guess, Polanco will be a Dodger next year and replace Chris Taylor’s role on the team
You had me until MVP votes. Great rebound candidate, just don’t expect too much defensively.
Oh wow!
As much as I’d like to see the Tigers go get Bregman, it’s more likely they go after a bounce back guy like Polanco to split time with Jung and maybe get some occasional starts at 2B too. He’ll be a lot cheaper this year.
Now that Santana is gone and AK retired, I hope the Twins bring Polo back on a one year deal to be the regular 1B. I think he might be an asset there and rebuild his value if he’s healthy. Might be a good fit for both sides.
Urias was a decent player in Milwaukee. I wish him well. Good player to take a small pillow contract and work his way back up to Ham and Egger status.
The Mariners have plenty of ham and eggs. It’s time to bring in some bacon and cheese!
Ham, eggs, bacon, cheese? Sounds like another year of IBS out of the Mariners.
You watch Dipoto will try to resign Polanco for 2/10 and tries to sell it as a great thing…