ORLANDO, Fla. — The staring contest between the Mariners and Jorge Polanco continued Tuesday with no clear conclusion in sight.
The Mariners have been open about their want to deliver again the switch-hitting veteran. It’s honest to say he’s their No. 1 precedence proper now.
Polanco was recognized to have loved taking part in in Seattle the previous two seasons. It’s honest to say re-signing with the Mariners might be his No. 1 alternative, all issues being equal.
The holdup?
Polanco’s preliminary ask, sources say, was for a four-year contract. The Mariners are believed to have provided two years for the 32-year-old second baseman/designated hitter.
The Pirates have been aggressively pursuing offensive upgrades, and so they have been linked to Polanco.
It’s doable the Pirates have a greater provide on the desk for him, at which level the query for Polanco turns into: Does he take more cash to play in Pittsburgh or take much less to return to Seattle and play for a contender?
M’s stay affected person
No strikes appeared imminent for the Mariners on Tuesday afternoon, although membership president Jerry Dipoto reiterated that the Mariners are out there for an additional reduction pitcher, along with a confirmed hitter.
“We’d like to get a bat carried out tomorrow. We’d love so as to add a bullpen arm tomorrow,” Dipoto stated. “However you possibly can solely transfer as quick because the market strikes.”
With Kyle Schwarber (Phillies) and ex-M’s nearer Edwin Diaz (Dodgers) agreeing to mega free-agent offers earlier Tuesday, the market may begin to churn extra by the top of the Winter Conferences on Wednesday.
“Issues will begin to transfer. It at all times does,” Dipoto stated. “And I believe the great factor for us is we simply have fewer wants than we’ve had in recent times. And the truth that we had been capable of fill what was our greatest gap (re-signing Josh Naylor) after which a necessity that we thought was fairly essential within the bullpen (buying and selling for Jose Ferrer). We stuffed these roles. Now we generally is a little bit extra affected person. Let it come to us.”
Newest on Brendan Donovan, Ketel Marte
The Mariners proceed to have curiosity in St. Louis’ Brendan Donovan, a 28-year-old left-handed hitter who can play second base, third base or left subject.
Donovan, like Polanco, would pair properly with 22-year-old Cole Younger in a job share at second base, with the veteran hitter in that state of affairs getting common reps because the designated hitter.
The Cardinals are reportedly open to buying and selling Donovan (projected to earn about $5 million in arbitration for 2026), however their new president of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom, is alleged to be methodically evaluating different groups’ farm programs, and as such, a commerce is just not anticipated to occur this week.
Elsewhere, a blockbuster commerce for Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte, the previous Mariner, is seen as unlikely for Seattle.
The Mariners have monitored Marte’s market to gauge the asking value, however groups just like the Pink Sox and Blue Jays are considered as extra probably touchdown spots for Marte.
The Diamondbacks are looking for an “established, well-regarded beginning pitcher, plus a number of different items” for Marte, The Arizona Republic reported.
Dipoto stated this week he doesn’t envision buying and selling any of the Mariners’ 5 primary beginning pitchers this offseason.
Eugenio Suárez linked to Pink Sox
The Pink Sox have had talks with former M’s third baseman Eugenio Suárez, The Boston Globe reported.
Suárez, 34, is seen as a fallback choice if the Pink Sox are unable to re-sign Alex Bregman, the highest free-agent third baseman available on the market.
The Cubs have additionally been linked to Suárez.
The Mariners are open to the concept of Suárez returning to Seattle on a short-term deal, prone to break up time between third base, first base and DH. However that will probably solely occur if the Mariners miss out on Polanco and Donovan.
A skinny catching class
With Harry Ford now traded to the Nationals and Mitch Garver a free agent, the Mariners have misplaced their No. 2 and three catchers on their organizational depth chart.
There are not any quick inner choices of their farm system to raise to these spots.
“We’ll in all probability have so as to add a number of catchers to the group,” Mariners basic supervisor Justin Hollander stated. “That’s a problem. We knew it’s a problem. We didn’t go into it eyes closed that we would want to do that if we made that commerce.”
The Mariners would probably signal a catcher to an MLB deal and one other to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring coaching and a assured MLB wage if known as up.
It isn’t a stellar class of free-agent catchers. Then once more, most catchers get put right into a backup position for a cause.
For pricing comparisons, Austin Hedges signed with the Guardians for a one-year, $4 million, and veteran James McCann signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract with the Diamondbacks to be their backup.
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