Offseason uncertainty for the Seattle Mariners just got louder. The latest reports suggest the Mariners’ plans won’t be neatly wrapped up in a tidy “run-it-back” narrative after all, as word spread Saturday morning that Jorge Polanco had reached a two-year, $40 million agreement with the Mets. That figure surprised many insiders, who pegged Polanco’s annual value closer to the $12–15 million range. Even Jeff Passan, typically among the more optimistic forecasters for Polanco’s annual salary, would have expected a lower figure before this weekend’s developments.
Shannon Drayer noted that Seattle’s plan for second and third base is coming more clearly into focus, as the Polanco scenario unfolds and teams begin to differentiate their level of commitment. On Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk show, Drayer projected that Polanco wouldn’t command $20 million per year, estimating a likely range of roughly $14–17 million annually. She suggested a three-year deal in the neighborhood of $45–50 million as a plausible outcome if two suitors duked it out, though the exact terms could shift by a year or a million here and there. The reported $17 million annual figure felt exaggerated to the hosts, yet late-breaking dynamics—like the Mets losing Pete Alonso to the Orioles—keep the market fluid. Polanco’s versatility and solid offense when healthy (an .821 OPS in 2025) remained appealing to a team in need of production.
Polanco’s decision to sign elsewhere wasn’t a shock so much as a possibility that had begun to look increasingly likely once he didn’t move quickly. The Mariners were aware of the risk and acknowledged they were facing a multi-team bidding situation. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto admitted the odds were against them with many clubs involved. The Mariners valued Polanco, but they were simply outbid by a club with a stronger short-term need. With that reality, Seattle needed to pivot.
Even as talks with additional free agents continued this week, the trade market emerged as the most promising source of upgrade potential. The Cardinals were anticipated to move Brendan Donovan, while the Diamondbacks reportedly had Ketel Marte available. Donovan and Marte would be high-impact additions on the field and on the salary ledger, but they would require significant prospect or leverage-heavy assets. Donovan, under two more years of club control, gives GM Chaim Bloom a chance to make a notable early imprint; Marte, however, carries a time-limited leverage as a 10-and-5 rights player, giving him veto power once the season begins.
On the free-agent front, rumors circulated that agent Scott Boras had reached out to the Mariners about third baseman Alex Bregman, though the marquee names largely remained out of reach. The club has kept the door open for Eugenio Suárez if the right one-year opportunity arises, yet a one-year deal still seems unlikely. Among other infield options, the market includes more improvisational fits like Willi Castro, Luis Rengifo, or Adam Frazier, who could serve as stopgap solutions.
The Polanco departure leaves Dipoto and GM Justin Hollander facing a strategic crossroads: gamble on a bold, higher-priced free agent, or pursue smaller, more incremental moves and preserve budget for a potential mid-season or trade-deadline push. Seattle’s track record suggests they’re comfortable trading away modestly ranked prospects to bolster the roster, but this winter’s path may require a different risk calculus. Ownership influence could tilt toward expanding the budget for a splash acquisition, or the team might lean into measured, cost-controlled moves and revisit bigger moves later in the season.
For Mariners fans, a season already charged with question marks has just been met with more uncertainty. Yet uncertainty often brings opportunity, and the remainder of the offseason should not be quiet.
More Seattle Mariners offseason coverage
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- Salk: What we know and think about Seattle Mariners’ offseason needs
- Why Nolan Arenado could make sense as a Seattle Mariners trade target
- Seattle Mariners pick two, lose one in minor league phase of Rule 5 draft
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