Seattle Mariners Manager Dan Wilson Reaffirms Jorge Polanco is Ready For Season
PEORIA, Ariz. — One of the biggest moves for the Seattle Mariners this offseason was a reunion with one of the most polarizing players on the roster from 2024.
The Mariners signed last year's starting second baseman, Jorge Polanco, to a one-year, $7.75 million deal loaded with incentives and a mutual option for 2026.
Polanco was hampered with knee and hamstring issues in 2024, which resulted in him hitting .213 with 16 home runs and 45 RBIs in 118 games. He underwent offseason surgery to repair a damaged patellar tendon in his left knee.
Seattle will start Polanco at third base this season in an effort to help him preserve the health of his knees. And manager Dan Wilson reaffirmed in an interview on Monday that Polanco is ready for the season.
"(Polanco) — he's been on track," Wilson said. "He's been the way we needed him. He's gotten some reps at third base, so it's still pretty new for him. Gonna continue to get those reps for him as we go through this last week (of spring training). I think there is a familiarity. (The infielders) take the ground balls every day together, there's a lot of work that they do together. And that last piece of the preparation is just getting that game time together. That's where we're at this week. I don't anticipate any trouble."
Polanco didn't play in a Cactus League game until multiple days into camp. He had a slow start, but has been doing well since. Entering Monday, he's hitting .318 (7-for-22) with three runs, six RBIs and a home run.
Jorge Polanco? pic.twitter.com/9HuO45n4cN https://t.co/gCWv9Qelqu
— Mariner Muse (@MarinerMuse) March 8, 2025
Polanco hasn't had the cleanest defense at third base in Cactus League games, but that's to be expected: In his career, he's played 4,178 innings at shortstop, 3,241.1 innings at second, and just 180 innings at third.
But for a player as experienced as Polanco, the fundamentals are there. It's just a matter of getting used to the new spot.
"It has more to do with just the positioning and where you are on the field rather than the fundamentals," Wilson said. "(Polanco) knows. He's been around this game a long time and he knows how to field his position. Just a matter of looking at it a little bit differently at third base and learning the basics. I think he's in a good spot, he's been working there since he's been ready here. He's gonna keep at it. And I know (Polanco) is a worker. We've seen that, even him coming back from this injury. We've seen it again. I know he's in a good spot."
Polanco's health and potential for a bounce back season will be crucial for the Mariners in 2025. And if he's able to return to form and put together a healthy year, he could be a potential x-factor for Seattle.
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