35 minutes ago
SEATTLE — Not since Robinson Canó have the Mariners had much clarity or reliability at second base, but they believe they’ve landed a fixture for next season and potentially beyond.
The club on Monday acquired switch-hitting veteran Jorge Polanco from the Twins in exchange for four players and cash.
TRADE DETAILS
Mariners receive: INF Jorge Polanco
Twins receive: RHP Justin Topa, RHP Anthony DeSclafani, OF Gabriel Gonzalez (No. 3 prospect, No. 79 overall), RHP Darren Bowen (unranked prospect), cash
Polanco, 30, is due $10.5 million this season — after the Twins exercised a club option — with a $12 million club option against a $750,000 buyout for 2025, bringing the total to $11,250,000 that the Mariners are on the hook for. It’s unclear how much money Seattle is sending Minnesota, but that figure is to help account for the $12 million owed to DeSclafani, who will be a free agent at season’s end.
Though Polanco had been the Twins’ iron man from 2019-21, playing almost every game as a fixture toward the top of the lineup, lingering knee issues and recurring hamstring troubles held him back in ’22 and ’23 — though he remained a productive cornerstone to the lineup when healthy. Polanco slashed .255/.335/.454 (.789 OPS) with 14 homers and 48 RBIs in 80 games last season.
Polanco is a player that Seattle’s front office has coveted for years, given that he hits from both sides and can play across the infield. The plan is for the 2019 All-Star to be the regular second baseman, but he also has 501 games of experience at shortstop and 24 at third base, giving manager Scott Servais plenty of platoon options to navigate a crowded infield.
