Pirates, Yankees, Red Sox interested in former long-tenured Twins infielder

Pirates, Red Sox, Yankees interested in former Twins infielder Jorge Polanco

The Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are interested in a former long-tenured Twin, free-agent infielder Jorge Polanco, according to The Seattle Times' Adam Jude. The Mariners have also expressed interest in re-signing Polanco, 32, but neither side appears "to be close to a deal."

Polanco made his MLB debut with the Twins in 2014 at the age of 20. He remained with the team through the 2023 season before being traded to the Mariners for right-handed pitchers Justin Topa, Anthony DeSclafani and Darren Bowen and highly-regarded outfield prospect Gabriel Gonzalez.

Polanco played in just five games with the Twins in 2014, then played in just four in 2015. Then, the infielder played in 69 games in 2016 before becoming a full-time starter in 2017, having played in 133 games that season. He began his MLB career as a shortstop before converting to a second baseman later in his career.

As a Twin, Polanco posted 16.8 bWAR and a .269/.334/.446 (111 OPS+) slash line with 112 home runs and 447 RBI over 3,529 plate appearances. In 2019, he made the American League All-Star team and finished 13th in American League MVP voting.

After being dealt to the Mariners, Polanco struggled significantly. He played in 118 games with Seattle in 2024, posting 1.3 bWAR and a lowly .213/.296/.355 (92 OPS+) slash line. The Mariners then re-signed Polanco to a one-year, $7.75 million contract, allowing them to have a cheap, established second baseman while Polanco tried to prove he is worth a multi-year contract, which he certainly did.

Polanco had an outstanding 2025 season for Seattle. In 138 games, the former Twins second baseman posted 2.6 bWAR and slashed .265/.326/.495 (134 OPS+) with 26 homers and 78 RBI. Then, he became a postseason hero for Seattle,

In Game 2 of the 2025 ALDS against the Detroit Tigers, Polanco hit two homers off back-to-back AL CY Young Award winner Tarik Skubal to give the Mariners a 3-2 win. Then, in Game 5 of the series, Polanco hit a walk-off single in the 15th inning to send the Mariners to the ALCS to compete against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Pirates have made it known they want to increase payroll this offseason. They already reportedly made offers to first baseman Josh Naylor, who re-signed with the Mariners, and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber. The Yankees and Red Sox are more likely to sign Polanco, given their proven willingness to spend a lot of money on free agents. Additionally, Polanco would likely prefer to play for Boston or New York rather than Pittsburgh.

The Red Sox could sign Polanco to deal with losing third baseman Alex Bregman. Boston may still bring back Bregman, but if it doesn't, Polanco could be one of their primary free-agent targets. If the Yankees sign Polanco, they may want to use him at first base, as Jazz Chisholm Jr. is their primary second baseman. It's possible, however, that the Pirates offer Polanco the largest contract due to their desire to increase payroll.