According to a recent piece from ESPN MLB Insiders Buster Olney and Jeff Passan, Seattle Mariners free agent target Jorge Polanco could sign early in this offseason. The winter meetings begin on Sunday night in Orlando, Fla., and Polanco is expected to have a robust market. He's already been connected to teams like the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.

Per Olney:

Jorge Polanco could be among those who sign sooner rather than later -- he's coveted by the Mariners and some other teams. Harrison Bader set himself up well with a strong performance in Philadelphia.

Why is this?

I'll be honest: This surprises me, as I discussed on the most recent episode of the Refuse to Lose podcast. 

Polanco might be their fallback option, and then that's where Polanco can go to the Mariners and say, "Well look, Team A is bidding, Team B is bidding, Team C is bidding. What are you gonna bid?"

So I— I don't think that Polanco needs to sign early. And as much as I would like him to if he's going to come back to the Mariners, I don't think that he has to sign early.

We've heard the Red Sox, we've heard the Yankees, we knew Houston was connected last year, heard the Pirates this year, have heard, Toronto even lukewarmly connected to Polanco.

So we know that the Tigers are interested in Bregman. We know the Cubs are interested in Bregman. So if these teams are interested in Bregman and Bichette and miss out, then Polanco seems like a natural fallback option for them.

So I think Polanco says, "Look, let those 2 sign. Let 3 or 4 other teams kind of get in the mix for me. I can go back to the Mariners with those 3 or 4 teams and say, 'All right, now what do you have?' And let kind of a mini bidding war commence."

That— that's what I feel like is going to happen. So— I think Polanco is who the Mariners want. Adam Jude of the Seattle Times reported that Polanco wants the Mariners. But even if that's the case, he doesn't necessarily have a reason to sign, maybe until his market fully materializes, and I don't think it's going to fully materialize until after Bregman and Bichette sign.

The Polanco file

Now 32 years old, Polanco will turn 33 in July. He hit 26 home runs in 2025 as the Mariners advanced to the American League Championship Series, also driving in 78 runs.

He's expected to get a two or three-year deal worth anywhere between $25 and $45 million. If the Mariners bring him back, he'd be expected to play some second base as well as designated hitter.

If the Mariners are unable to bring back Polanco, they have also been linked to several trade candidates, including multiple All-Stars.

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