The Seattle Mariners had to have been expecting this.
It's still notable news: Jorge Polanco has declined his contract player option.
The New York Post's Jon Heyman reported that Polanco has turned down his $6 million player option that would've kept him under contract with the Mariners for 2026.
With that move, Polanco is now a free agent.
This was never in doubt after how Polanco's 2025 season went.
He bashed 26 home runs and had a.495 slugging percentage.
Polanco, a switch-hitting infielder, did battle knee issues during the season, but he was back out there at second base a bunch down the stretch.
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The availability of Polanco is one that hasn't been talked about as much in Seattle's offseason plans.
The main discussions have centered around the two guys who came over at the trade deadline, Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez.
The Mariners are expected to prioritize bringing Naylor back, but both are key bats.
Polanco, too, is a key bat. And now he has to somehow factor into the Mariners' decision-making, too.
They may try to figure out Naylor first and go from there, but that runs the risk of Polanco leaving town before Seattle puts its full effort into keeping him.
Based on the season he just had, Polanco would be a good player to keep in town if the Mariners can manage it.
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