The Seattle Mariners' loss became the New York Mets' gain. On Saturday, it was announced that the Mets had officially signed infielder Jorge Polanco to a two-year, $40 million contract, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Recently, Polanco declined a $6 million player option with the Mariners, thus opening himself up to free agency. Plus, teams such as the Red Sox and Blue Jays expressed interest in him. This past season, Polanco batted .265 with 125 hits, 26 home runs, and 78 RBIs.
Meanwhile, the Mariners finished with a 90-72 record and made it to the ALCS before succumbing to the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games. During the playoffs, Polanco batted .208 with 10 hits, three home runs, eight RBIs, and seven runs.
Also, the Mets finished the year 83-79, in second place in the NL East, and didn't make the playoffs. This move is just the latest in a string of big-time decisions that New York has undertaken this offseason.
This week, they lost Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz to the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers, respectively. The Orioles signed Alonso to a $155 million deal, and the Dodgers signed Diaz to a $69 million contract.
Altogether, Polanco brings some notable attributes to the Mets.
Jorge Polanco brings the power and the flexibility to New York.
As a second baseman/third baseman, Polanco is an anomaly. He is a switch-hitting, power-hitting infielder. Polanco is especially effective in the middle of the batting order.
Not only that, but he can be versatile in the infield, playing both positions. Furthermore, he brings a depth of postseason experience to the Mets, even within this season. Altogether, Polanco has played in 24 postseason games.
In a big way, his presence helps fill the void left behind by the power-hitting Alonso. Polanco has played 12 seasons in the MLB, beginning with the Minnesota Twins in 2014 and continuing through 2023.
