For most of the offseason, it’s been quiet on the Seattle Mariners front. Today, that is not the case. There has been talk about a trade all day. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Mariners are acquiring second baseman Jorge Polanco from the Minnesota Twins.

The Mariners have been looking for a productive second baseman for a few seasons now. They’ve missed out on players like Adam Frazier and Kolten Wong, who just didn’t work out in Seattle. After releasing Wong midway through the year, the Mariners traded closer Paul Seawald to the Diamondbacks for Josh Rojas. It appears that the Mariners will be sending four players in return. Two from the MLB level and two prospects. The deal includes the Mariners sending right-handers Anthony DeSclafani and Justin Topa along with prospects Gabriel Gonzalez and RHP Darren Bowen in return.

After trading Eugenio Suarez to the Diamondbacks early this offseason, it made the Mariners’ infield thin. After that trade, they acquired Luis Urias. They needed to make a move such as this to strengthen it. Adding Polanco gives the Mariners some flexibility. They could put him place him at second base and move Rojas to third. That is the initial plan. The Mariners have been attempting to acquire Jorge Polanco for quite some time.

Polanco is one of the top offensive players on the trade market. A switch-hitter who has posted above-average numbers at the plate in four of the past five seasons. In 2023, he hit .255/.335/.454 with 14 home runs and an OPS+ of 115. Despite the steady production, the Twins saw some positives from 24-year-old Edouard Julien when Polanco was on the injured list this last season. They saw enough positives to move forward with Julien at second base. They could have kept Polanco at second, and deployed Julien at DH. However, they opted not to.

With the additions for the Twins, they’re getting a quality bullpen arm in Topa. A starter/reliever in DeSclafani and two prospects, one of who is in the Top 100. The Mariners have been able to develop quality relievers over the past several seasons.

“From the beginning of this offseason, Jorge was someone we identified as a perfect fit for our roster,” Hollander said. “As a switch hitter with a long track record of success, he’s also renowned around the league for his work ethic and leadership skills. We’re thrilled at the opportunity to add such an impactful presence to both our lineup and clubhouse.”

The Mariners roster is now at 39.

***

Click here for more MLB content.

Follow Fantom Sports on Instagram!

Follow Fantom Sports on TikTok!