Surprise NL Central Team Predicted to Land Mariners All-Star Second Baseman

The Mariners may not be able to keep their All-Star second baseman despite the Josh Naylor signing.

May 2, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of the Seattle Mariners logo and MLB Debut logo on the jersey of right fielder Rhylan Thomas (31) during the second inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Seattle Mariners finally got going with their offseason plans on Sunday night when they re-signed Josh Naylor to a five-year contract. Naylor was their top priority heading into the winter, and now Seattle has accomplished their goal of retaining him.

Two other key free agents remain for the Mariners. Playoff hero Jorge Polanco and slugger Eugenio Suarez remain unsigned.

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report made some predictions on where some of the top remaining free agents would ultimately land this offseason, and had Polanco ultimately landing a one-year, $12.5 million contract with an unexpected team, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Mariners Could Lose Jorge Polanco To Pirates

Oct 20, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (7) warms up before game seven of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

“As well as Polanco performed for the Mariners in 2025, 2022 first-round pick Cole Young is likely ready to take over at second base on a full-time basis in 2026. That likely means Polanco will be changing his address for his 13th MLB season,” Kelly wrote

Polanco hit .265/.326/.495 with 26 home runs, 78 RBI, a 2.6 WAR and an .821 OPS. Losing him wouldn’t be too devastating for the Mariners since Young is almost ready. 

However, fans would likely miss the 32-year-old former All-Star. He provides power from both sides of the plate and positional versatility.

The Mariners certainly got the most out of Polanco in 2025, and he even picked up the game-winning hit in Game 5 of the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers.

Polanco would make the Pirates a little bit better offensively and give them a power threat, which is something they don’t have much at the moment. Polanco is somebody that they could build around as they try to make the most of their time with National League Cy Young Paul Skenes.

If the Mariners aren’t quite comfortable with Young just yet, keeping Polanco would be a good idea. However, if he leaves, there are also other options, including three-time All-Star Gleyber Torres, who had a bounce-back year with the Detroit Tigers.

They’ve already accomplished their top goal of being able to keep Naylor, and they likely won’t be able to keep all three of their major free agents. So, it might be time for them to prepare for life without Polanco as they look to build off of their 2025 success and make a deeper postseason run in 2026.

The Mariners should be an interesting team to watch this offseason.

More MLB: Mariners Announce Dodgers Trade As Aggressive Night Continues