Jorge Polanco Making Cactus League Debut On Monday
Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (knee) is making his Cactus League debut on Monday against the Cleveland Guardians, serving as the designated hitter and batting third. Polanco was held back early in spring training this year after having surgery to six the patellar tendon in his left knee last October. As long as he doesn't have any setbacks with his surgically-repaired knee once he resumes playing in games in spring training, the 31-year-old veteran infielder should be ready for Opening Day at the end of this month. Polanco has plenty of bounce-back potential in fantasy in 2025, but he's also a pretty big injury risk, having played in 120 games only three times since debuting in the big leagues in 2017. The switch-hitting Dominican did have 33 homers in 2021 and has intriguing power for a second baseman, but his injury history merely makes him a late-round flier in deep-mixed leagues.
Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (knee) took swings off a batting machine in camp on Wednesday. Injuries continued to limit Polanco in 2024, as he dealt with hamstring and knee injuries before needing surgery on the patellar tendon in his left knee last October. When the 31-year-old Dominican was on the field, he struggled to the tune of a .213/.296/.355 slash line with a career-low .651 OPS, 16 home runs, 45 RBI, four steals, 43 runs and a career-high 137 strikeouts in 118 games. He should be ready to roll by Opening Day in late March, but Polanco's inability to avoid lower-body injuries over the years has dramatically lowered his fantasy stock entering the 2025 season. Polanco could rebound and has 14-plus homers in each of his last five full seasons, but he also has reached 120 games only three times in 11 seasons.
Jorge Polanco Re-Signs With Mariners On One-Year Deal
The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports that free-agent infielder Jorge Polanco (knee) agreed to re-sign with the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night for a one-year, $7.75 million guaranteed deal, pending a physical, according to sources. The Houston Astros had known interest in Polanco, but he'll return to the Mariners after the acquired him from the Minnesota Twins a year ago. His deal includes a $750,000 buyout on a vesting player/mutual option for 2026 based on plate appearances. Rosenthal says the M's plan to use Polanco at third base in 2025. The 31-year-old Dominican infielder battled through a knee injury and struggled to a .213/.296/.355 slash line with 16 homers and 45 RBI in 118 games in Seattle last year. With better health, Polanco could bounce back, but he's also played in 120 games in a season just once in 11 MLB campaigns. Dylan Moore should be the favorite to start at the keystone for Seattle.
Cubs Expressing Interest In Jose Iglesias, Jorge Polanco
According to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, the Chicago Cubs have been interested in acquiring another veteran infielder and have been linked to Jose Iglesias and Jorge Polanco. While the team agreed to a contract with infielder Jon Berti earlier this week, the team is still targeting another option as Nico Hoerner (elbow) could be in danger of missing Opening Day. Iglesias enjoyed a career season with the Mets at age 35, posting a .337/.381/.448 line. Polanco played through a knee injury last season but underwent surgery in October and is expected to be a full go for spring training. Across 118 contests with Seattle last summer, Polanco held an underwhelming .213/.296/.355 line. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Hoerner's status during spring training as the Cubs may continue to target one of these options for a short-term solution.
According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, the Houston Astros are continuing to pursue free-agent infielder Jorge Polanco as a contingency plan if they fail to re-sign third baseman Alex Bregman. While the team's priority is to reunite with their long-time third baseman, Polanco would be the pivot if Bregman were to sign with another club. On Sunday, the Astros traded relief pitcher Ryan Pressly to the Chicago Cubs, which opened some salary space for the team to sign Bregman. If Bregman were to return, second baseman Jose Altuve would likely shift to the outfield. Polanco would be a much cheaper alternative. Last season, the 31-year-old posted a disappointing .213/.296/.355 slash line with just 16 home runs. He underwent surgery to repair a patellar tendon in his knee in October but is expected to be a full go for spring training and should be expected to bounce back. If Polanco were to sign with Houston, fantasy managers should expect him to play at either the keystone or the hot corner.
According to Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post, the New York Yankees have checked in on free agent infielder Jorge Polanco. The Yankees have been searching for an infielder following the departure of Gleyber Torres. While they could opt to have an internal option replace Torres, Polanco has the ability to play both second and third base, which could provide the Yankees with great lineup flexibility. Polanco played through a knee injury last season in Seattle and underwent surgery in October, but is expected to be ready for spring training. Last summer, he posted a .213/.296/.355 line with 16 home runs and four stolen bases. However, in 2023, Polanco held a strong .255/.335/.454 line with 18 doubles and 14 home runs. If Polanco were to sign with the Yankees, he would likely cover second or third base with Jazz Chisholm Jr. covering the other.
Jorge Polanco A Fall-Back Plan For Astros At Third Base
If the Houston Astros are unable to re-sign third baseman Alex Bregman this offseason, free-agent infielder Jorge Polanco is at the top of their list as a contingency plan at the hot corner. Polanco will be looking for a rebound season in 2025 after coming off knee surgery. The veteran switch-hitter had a career-low .651 OPS in 118 games with the Seattle Mariners this past season but also had a .724 OPS with 11 of his 16 long balls on the year in 63 games from July 9 on. If the team loses Bregman and goes cheaper at third base, they could look to upgrade at first base, where they've discussed free-agent first baseman Christian Walker. Polanco is capable of bouncing back and should be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season, but his health is a major question mark, as he's played in 120 games only three times since debuting in 2014.
Jorge Polanco On Track To Be Cleared For Baseball Activity By January
Free-agent infielder Jorge Polanco (knee) is on track to be cleared for full baseball activities by January and is currently recovering on schedule after having surgery to fix the patellar tendon in his left knee, according to his agent, Ulises Cabrera. Polanco dealt with the knee issue for much of his first season with the Seattle Mariners in 2024 and was limited to 118 games, slashing a weak .213/.296/.355 with a career-worst .651 OPS, 16 home runs, 45 RBI, four stolen bases and 43 runs scored in 469 plate appearances. As a result of the disappointing season and his injury, the Mariners wisely declined Polanco's $12 million club option for the 2025 season. With better health, Polanco could have a bounce-back season elsewhere, but the Dominican infielder is known to be injury-prone, only playing in over 150 games twice in his 11 big-league seasons.
The Seattle Mariners are declining the 2025 club option on second baseman Jorge Polanco according to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Polanco will receive $750,000 and become a free agent. the 31-year-old struggled in his first season in Seattle as he hit for an underwhelming .213/.296/.355 with 16 home runs, 45 RBI, and four swiped bags. In 2024, he posted a career-worst 29.3% K rate. This was a stark decline from the .255/.335/.454 line he held in 2023 with the Minnesota Twins. Despite his drop in production, Polanco could find a starting role with a new club in 2025 and may be worth a look as a late-option in drafts this offseason.
Jorge Polanco Has Knee Surgery, Expected To Be Ready For Spring Training
Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (knee) had surgery to fix the patellar tendon in his left knee and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training in February, according to sources. Polanco has dealt with knee pain in recent seasons and really struggled at the plate in 2024 with the M's while playing through it. The 31-year-old veteran switch-hitter was mainly bothered hitting left-handed, batting .198/.301/.345. Overall, he hit only .213/.296/.355 with 16 long balls and 45 RBI in his first year in Seattle. The surgery should help Polanco get some of his prodigious power back, as well as his lateral movement. Coming off the bad season, it's unknown where Polanco will be playing in 2025, really hurting his all-around fantasy stock. The Mariners have a $12 million club option with a $750,000 buyout and must decide whether to pick it up in early November. After posting a career-low .651 OPS, we'd expect Seattle to decline his option and make him a free agent.
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