The Seattle Mariners have declined second baseman Jorge Polanco’s $12 million option for next season, making him a free agent.
Jorge Polanco’s $12 million club option for 2025 has been declined by the Mariners, the team just announced. He will receive a $750,000 buyout and becomes a free agent.
Also, Luis Urías cleared waivers and has elected free agency.
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) November 1, 2024
Mariners Decline Jorge Polanco’s Option, Making Him Free Agent
Polanco’s lone season in teal and green was a mixed bag. The Mariners sent four players to the Minnesota Twins to acquire him back in January. At times, he looked like the guy Seattle has been missing since Robinson Cano. Most of the time, however, he looked like every other player who has tried to replace Cano. In other words, not very good.
In the six seasons since Cano’s departure, Seattle has had seven people try to fill in. Dee Strange-Gordon, who they brought in to play center field, found moderate success there. His slash line of .275/.304/.359, with three home runs and 34 RBI is the best in that period. Abraham Toro, acquired at the deadline from the division rival Houston Astros in the Kendall Graveman trade, has the next-best average of .252.
Veterans and rookies alike have tried, and failed, to stop Seattle’s second base curse. Dylan Moore, Shed Long Jr., Adam Frazier, Kolten Wong, and now Jorge Polanco have all been chewed up and spit out.
Positives and Negatives
Polanco’s time in Seattle wasn’t a total failure, however. While the stats don’t look pretty, he played an alright second base with seven errors, his lowest total when playing more than 100 games. His .981 fielding percentage is the third-highest of his career. Polanco was a nice veteran presence to have in the lineup, and you never really were worried about second base when the ball was hit there.
The offensive side of things was more bleak. His .213 average and OPS of .651 were by far his career lows. His 137 strikeouts were a career-high, also by far, and his hit total of 89 is his second lowest when playing more than 100 games. He still somehow managed to put up 1.4 WAR, but that’s his lowest since 2020.
Where to Go from Here?
It’s not really a surprise that Seattle declined Polanco’s option. He’s going into his age-32 season and is coming off patellar tendon surgery, which could deeply interrupt his offseason routine. He missed 50 games last year, including an IL stint due to a hamstring strain, and has a serious injury track record. Polanco is a good hitter, but he is coming off the worst year of his career. He could still provide value to a lot of teams out there. His days as a starter for a playoff team, though, might be over. With an owner as stingy as John Stanton, it’s almost smart to save the extra $12 million. The real question is, who will the Mariners’ second base curse claim next?
Photo Credit: © Erik Williams-Imagn Images
