Infielder Jorge Polanco is now a free agent, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Heyman says Polanco is turning down an $8MM mutual option but Polanco actually converted that to a $6MM player option during the season. Regardless of the details, the larger point is that Polanco is heading back to the open market, collecting a $750K buyout on his way out the door.
The decision is not a surprise. Polanco is coming off a tremendous bounceback season. He stepped to the plate 524 times and hit 26 home runs. His .265/.326/.495 batting line translated to a 132 wRC+, his best offensive performance over a full season in his career.
It wasn’t a perfect season. Ongoing knee problems kept him mostly in the designated hitter spot, though he appeared to get healthier as the year wore on. He made just 34 starts at second base but most of those were after the All-Star break, including 15 in September.
He undoubtedly has more earning power now than he did a year ago, despite being a year older. The aforementioned knee problems limited him to just 118 games with a rough .213/.296/.355 slash line and 93 wRC+. He underwent knee surgery in October. Despite that poor showing and uncertain health status, the Mariners still re-signed him to a one-year deal with a $7.75MM guarantee. That came in the form of a $7MM salary plus a $750K buyout on an $8MM mutual option. Polanco could convert that to a $6MM player option with 450 plate appearances, which he easily topped.
His better platform season and improved health outlook should line him up for a better deal, likely with multiple years, so turning down one year and $6MM is an easy call. The Mariners have interest in bringing him back but he will have other suitors as well and Seattle may be prioritizing a Josh Naylor reunion.
Photo courtesy of Jordan Godfree, Imagn Images
Hope the Mariners can resign him.
Go get em’ Yankees, don’t be gun shy with him. He’s great.
After a really good season and great playoff performance, Polanco is definitely looking to cash in.
Yeah and he will get a good deal.
Not surprised. He can easily triple that salary.
24 million a year for Polanco? I really do not see that.
I meant the $6M option.
No you didn’t. It says he turned down an $8 million down option.
Really? Easily? You believe that Polanco is going to get $24 million per year? Naylor May not even get that. No way. I hope he comes back to the M’s but at not even close to that price per year.
I don’t think reading comprehension is your strength.
Really? That is how you try and back out of this by degrading someone else? Sad. Speak for yourself on your comment . It states that he turned down an $8 million player option. Come on.
Read it again, his 8M option converted to a 6M option based on plate appearances.
So he turned down 6M and will easily sign for 18M+ total on his next deal.
That’s triple.
I’m happy for Polanco that he’s rejuvenated his value but I would be a little worried about spending a ton on money on him. If his hitting falters again, he provides nothing else. Maybe a 2-yr, 30 million deal or something.
That sounds a lot like the Mitch Garver deal. It didn’t go well.
Mitch Garver is way older and has always been way less consistent throughout his career. Polanco, even when he’s been injured, has almost always posted above average or better batting lines.
Roughly the same age when the deals were (hypothetically) signed. Garver is two years older, but he signed his deal two years ago so……….
It’s the knee problem that would concern me.
He’s about the most obvious free agent who will fall off a cliff next season, like Santander this past year. Polanco is normally injured a lot. We’ve seen it again and again, with these guys having their best season ever when their contracts are up.
I think that’s roughly what he get. I think he gets 2-3 years from someone despite obvious concerns about his health and likely regression.
He’s more of a DH now than an infielder, with only 43 of 138 games in the field in 2025.
To be fair, if he was healthy all year, he would have gotten a lot more time in the field. However, that probably says more about the sad state of the M’s with regard to second basemen in recent years.
I think he’ll get 14 million from somebody. Hopefully the Braves if he can still play shortstop.
He couldn’t play 2B last year, doubt he can play SS.
Braves should be rebuilding, not spending money on mostly DH.
Last action at SS was six games in 2022.
He’s a statue, wherever he plays. Laughable that anyone would even consider him as a SS option, much less anywhere else on the field.
I think Brandon Lowe of the Rays may be available. He is healthier than Polanco. He is signed for $11.5M for one season. That might provide a bridge to Cole Young or Colt Emerson at 2B.
“Healthier than Polanco” LOL.
@ Jared Kelenic’s Beer can— Stop degrading people. I agree with you Ball Four. lowe would be a good option. I would rather see a Brendan Donovan/Steven Kwan type of hitter who has a very low strike out rate, puts the ball in play ,and could lead, off but Lowe would help.
Are you illiterate? It says the 8 million team option converted to a $6 million player option, which he turned down. Reading is fundamental. Especially if you are going to snap at people, you should try to be correct. Big Red Knob.
I didn’t snap at anyone and again with the degrading. Just bad people. I just disagreed. He is not getting $24 million a year or $18 million a year in my opinion.
If the Mariners roll it back without Polanco, then they definitely have to address some high contact in RF. Williamson would be fine at 3B because of his GG caliber defense, but the Blue Jays exposed the easy outs batting 6-9 in the order. Re-signing Josh Naylor is job 1, but that only solidifies C, 1B, SS (?), LF, and CF. I’d try to swing a deal with a contender like the Guardians to get Kwan and Bo Naylor for Harry Ford and a couple of pitchers. Solve RF and backup C in one fell swoop. The Rays rumblings about Brandon Lowe are interesting, but is he that much of an upgrade to Cole Young?
The part I don’t get on transactions like this, he declined the option and gets $750k buyout? You would think if he opts out there is no buyout