The Minnesota Twins made their first big move of the offseason on Monday night, trading second baseman Jorge Polanco to the Seattle Mariners, league officials said. The AthleticKen Rosenthal.
In making the deal, which has been expected all offseason due to the Twins' depth in the infield, the team has added right-handers Justin Topa and Anthony DeSclafani, outfield prospect Gabriel Gonzalez; The team sent its longest-tenured player to the Pacific Northwest in exchange for four players, including . According to team officials, pitching candidate Darren Bowen.
Polanco, who debuted with the Twins in 2014 and played primarily as a second baseman but was also named an All-Star as a shortstop in 2019, batted .255/.335/.454 with 14 home runs and 48 in 80 games last season. He scored an RBI. Polanco, a switch hitter and solid defensive second baseman, provides Seattle with an offensive-minded infielder the team desperately needs.
The Twins have always valued Polanco, who moved from shortstop to second base after the 2020 season. But with teams looking to downsize, Edouard Julien looking like a star, top prospect Brooks Lee also getting ready, and other needs to be met, the Twins will spend $10.5 million this season. It was expected that they would try to trade Polanco, who is making a lot of money. $12 million player option in 2025.
The Mariners had several secondary options, including Dylan Moore, Jose Rojas, and Sam Haggerty, but Polanco has a much better bat, boasting a career OPS of over 111, and is versatile as a switch hitter. .
The Twins announced in November that they expected to take a salary reduction (possibly up to $30 million) after spending a franchise-record $154 million in 2023.
The Twins allowed veteran starting pitchers Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda to leave in free agency earlier this offseason, and did not re-sign slugger Joey Gallo. These departures and others had already reduced the Twins' estimated 2024 salary to next season's estimated salary of about $125 million before trading Polanco.
The Twins have a wealth of talented infielders, including Julian, Lee, Carlos Correa, Royce Ruiz, Kyle Farmer, Jose Miranda, Alex Kirillov, and utility men Willy Castro, Nick Gordon, and Austin Martin. , had considered trading Polanco from the beginning. End of last season.
Polanco, who joined the team full-time in 2017, quickly became a valuable hitter and a nightmare opponent near the top of the lineup. He tripled 32 times for a club that earned a shock wild-card berth in 2017 and bounced back from an 80-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs in 2018.
Polanco had a big breakout season in 2019, hitting .295/.356/.485 with 22 home runs and 79 RBIs as part of the Twins' Bomba Squad, setting the all-time single-season home run record with 307 round-trip home runs. Polanco continued to improve in 2021 after 2019, hitting a career-high 33 home runs and driving in 98 RBIs.
But over the past few seasons, Polanco's health has deteriorated. After dealing with his ankle injuries in 2019 and 2020, Polanco suffered an injury to his knee that caused him to miss the final 37 games of the 2022 season and remain until the 2023 season. Despite rehabbing throughout the offseason, Polanco suffered a setback late in spring training and started the 2023 season on injured reserve.
Polanco made his debut on April 21 with his knee healthy, but was later slowed by a hamstring injury. He was placed on the IL in May and June, missing a combined 53 games, and did not return until July 28.
Upon his return, Polanco finally remained on the field and continued to bat for the remainder of the game. Polanco played in 50 of the team's past 57 games and posted an .817 OPS. The Twins won 30 games and lost 20 games.
The move gives the Twins financial flexibility to address other needs.
Despite Chris Paddack expected to return to the rotation, the Twins are in need of another starting pitcher and are looking to add defensive reinforcements in the outfield in case Byron Buxton's knee doesn't hold up. There is a possibility that it will be used. The team has been considering trades for Polanco, Farmer and Max Kepler all winter, hoping to trade needs for major leaguers.
(Top photo: Jorge Polanco: Ron Schwan/Getty Images)
