Sources: Mets sign infielder Jorge Polanco to 2-year, $40M deal
Former Seattle Mariner Jorge Polanco hits a foul ball during Game 6 of the ALCS against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Oct. 19 in Toronto, Ontario. Credit: Getty Images/Vaughn Ridley
The Mets are hoping a Mariners postseason hero can bring his winning ways to Flushing — and potentially fill some of the void left by Pete Alonso’s departure.
The team signed infielder Jorge Polanco on Saturday to a two-year, $40 million contract, pending a physical, sources said. Polanco primarily served as a designated hitter last season and spent the majority of his career as a middle infielder, but reports Saturday said the Mets were interested in converting him to a first baseman. Polanco played his only career game at first base last season, but will also DH.
Asked during the winter meetings this past week if he was searching for a set DH, president of baseball operations David Stearns said he wanted to remain flexible.
“I think at a certain level, you’re OK with having one guy as your DH,” he said. “There are different ways to construct a roster. I think there are very successful offenses with one player who mans that position and there are very successful offenses that allow a manager to rotate spots through there. I don’t think we’re wedded to one particular approach.”
After a disastrous 2024 in which Polanco battled a knee injury and batted a career-low .213, the Mariners took another shot on the switch-hitter last season, and it paid dividends: Polanco, 32, slashed .265/.326/.495 with 26 homers and 78 RBIs. He drove in eight runs in 12 playoff games last season — hitting two homers off Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal in Game 2 of the American League Division Series, and stroking the game-winning RBI in the 15th inning of the clinching Game 5. He also hit a go-ahead homer in the fifth inning of a 10-3 win over the Blue Jays in Game 2 of the ALCS.
Stearns said he was committed to run prevention — in Polanco’s case, defense — and having an unproven glove in one of the most active positions on the diamond is a risk. That said, other pieces in the Mets infield might make it a smoother transition.
On paper, that unit is improved from the one that forced Alonso to make acrobatic picks in order to save errors. Brett Baty came into his own last year, and played a strong third base in the latter half of the season. Marcus Semien, acquired in the Brandon Nimmo trade, is a defensively elite second baseman coming off a Gold Glove season.
The move comes as Stearns attempts to rebuild this team from nearly the studs . Though mainstays like Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto remain on the roster, fans were dealt a slew of emotional blows in recent weeks: In addition to Nimmo being moved, Alonso and Edwin Diaz departed for the Orioles and Dodgers, respectively.
Polanco's offense — responsible for 132 weighted runs created plus — is a step toward making up for the vacuum left by Alonso (141 wRC+) and Nimmo (114 wRC+). And while Polanco has slightly more power from the left side, he otherwise has fairly equal splits for a team that Stearns felt was too lefthanded. He squares up the ball and doesn’t strike out a ton — in the 89th percentile last year — despite showcasing above-average power.
Still, the Mets have plenty of other holes to fill. Though they believe in the three young pitchers who made their debut last season, their rotation remains suspect, and Stearns said last week that the front office will continue to explore the trade market. For now, Devin Williams will be the closer, but there are also questions of who will build the bridge to him. The Mets were eyeing a reunion with Tyler Rogers, but the submariner opted to sign with the Blue Jays. A.J. Minter, recovering from a lat tear, is likely to have a delayed start to his season. And though the organization is high on outfield prospect Carson Benge, they’ll be looking to shore up that position as well.
"When you don't play well, [changes] happen, right? A team that had so many expectations and we didn't even make it to the playoffs," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said at the winter meetings. "We have a really good opportunity and you just have to embrace the challenge. I'm excited about that and really looking forward to get going."
Said Stearns, "I think we’re open minded to getting better anywhere. I don’t think there’s a segment of our team right now that we can look at or we would look at and say, that’s a finished product.”
Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.
