Free agent second baseman Jorge Polanco underwent surgical procedure to restore the patellar tendon in his left knee after the season, clouding his market on the heels of a down 12 months with the Mariners. Agent Ulises Cabrera of Octagon tells MLB.com’s Jon Morosi that his consumer is at the moment anticipated to be cleared for full baseball exercise in January. Seattle declined a $12MM membership possibility on Polanco in favor of a $750K buyout final week.
Polanco, 31, stumbled by way of the worst season of his profession in 2024, hitting simply .213/.298/.355 as the first second baseman for the Mariners. It was Polanco’s first season with a company aside from the Twins. Minnesota, deep in infield expertise and going through payroll uncertainty amid the Diamond Sports activities Group/Bally Sports activities chapter proceedings, traded Polanco to Seattle final offseason in alternate for reliever Justin Topa, rotation reclamation bid Anthony DeSclafani, and prospects Gabriel Gonzalez and Darren Bowen. Neither membership benefited from the deal in 2024. Polanco had a career-worst displaying. Topa missed almost the complete season after sustaining a knee damage in spring coaching. DeSclafani didn’t pitch in any respect after present process flexor surgical procedure in spring coaching.
On the time he was acquired, Polanco regarded just like the steadying presence the Mariners had coveted at second base after a number of years of a revolving door on the place. The switch-hitter was a fixture in Minnesota’s infield from 2018-23, hitting a mixed .270/.338/.455 alongside the best way. Polanco had handled some knee troubles in latest seasons however completed the ’23 season each wholesome and productive. In 216 plate appearances after being reinstated from the injured listing in July 2023, he slashed .258/.361/.456.
The knee damage doubtless explains a few of Polanco’s struggles in 2024, however that received’t do his free agent market any massive favors. Main League Baseball’s free agent market typically doesn’t deal with second basemen nicely within the first place, and Polanco will likely be coming into the 2025 marketing campaign as a notable well being danger and rebound candidate. He’s prone to be capped at a one-year take care of some incentives based mostly on plate appearances and/or video games performed. Golf equipment on the lookout for some reasonably priced assist at second base may look to Polanco, a 2019 All-Star who belted 33 house runs as just lately as 2021, as a fairly priced possibility. Nonetheless, it’s potential they’ll need to wait till he resumes baseball exercise earlier than figuring out the scale of the dedication they’re snug making.
