MLB Insider Buys Into Jorge Polanco Bouncing Back For Seattle Mariners in 2025

The Seattle Mariners are banking on a lot of players bouncing back in 2025 after a down 2024. One of those players is infielder Jorge Polanco.

Hamstring and knee injuries led to a bad season for the former All-Star. He hit just .213 with 16 home runs, 45 RBIs and played 118 games in 2024. This led to the Mariners declining his $12 million option earlier in the offseason.

Polanco's knee injury had apparently bothered him for years, according to the Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. Polanco underwent surgery in the offseason to repair a damaged patellar tendon in his left knee.

Seattle re-signed Polanco to a one-year dear worth $7 million (up to $11 million with incentives). The club is confident that the surgery, plus a move from second to third base, will help lead to a resurgence at the plate. And there's reasons to believe that could be the case.

The club monitored Polanco's recovery closely. And they weren't the only ones. Both the Houston Astros and New York Yankees were interested in Polanco before he returned to the Pacific Northwest.

MLB Network insider Jon Morosi went on the Bob & Wyman Show on Seattle Sports 710 on Feb. 5 and supported the idea of Polanco bouncing back, at least on offense.

"Do I believe that Polanco can be a better player in '25 than he was in '24? I do," Morosi said. "I actually think he will be a better player this year than he was last year. The question is, is the totality of the offense good enough for that all to carry the day and to put this team in the playoffs? I think that is the major unknown. And it's also important to remember, a year ago, same player we're talking about, Polanco, the idea was he was going to come in and bat third. He was going to be that important of a player for this team. He's someone they've clearly liked in the past, and they get him at a bit of a discount because of the poor season he had. ... It's actually not a bad risk at this point in time when you consider what the price point is, what the assignment is from the offensive profile. I do worry a bit about the defense, but I think he'll hit more than he did in 2024."

MLB Network's @JonMorosi shared his thoughts on the #Mariners bringing back INF Jorge Polanco during his weekly appearance with @WymanAndBob.

Full video 📺: https://t.co/fhQaa1ITaS https://t.co/30mDoecIff pic.twitter.com/ZRFvi0iBnZ
— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports) February 6, 2025

The defense being a question mark is understandable considering how Polanco performed in 2024. He'll also be tasked with replacing Josh Rojas, who put up a Gold Glove-caliber season last season.

But under infield coach Perry Hill, and with healthy legs, Polanco can be a serviceable player to stand at the hot corner next season.

But offense was the biggest weakness for the Mariners in 2024. And if Polanco can regain a form similar to his last healthy season in 2021 with the Minnesota Twins (.269 average, 33 home runs, 98 RBIs, 152 games played) it will result in a huge boost for the team in 2025.

But, as Morosi said, Seattle's playoff fate will likely come down to whether or not the entire offense can improve.

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