This isn't shaping up well for the Seattle Mariners.
Jorge Polanco, the versatile, switch-hitting, free agent infielder whose return is desired by the Mariners? His contract demands are pretty high.
And if a team is going to meet Polanco's demands, it likely won't be Seattle, because they're probably too much for the Mariners to justify.
The Seattle Times reported late Monday that Polanco is seeking a four-year deal worth $12 million or more per year.
Polanco is expected to get his contract done this week during the Winter Meetings. So one way or the other, Seattle fans should know soon what's happening.
But in that same article, it was made pretty clear that Polanco won't be coming to Seattle if it's for a payday of something like $48 million.
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The 32-year old has worsened as a defender as his career has gone on, and there's always the risk that his bounceback 2025 season will look like an outlier.
In 2025, Polanco batted.265 with a.495 slugging and.821 OPS. He knocked 30 doubles and 26 home runs while driving in 78 runs. It was his best hitting season since 2021.
If he repeats it, he can be worth the money.
But if Polanco falls back to the level he played at from 2022-2024, then the money would be much too rich.
Seattle would take him back, at the right price. But what will be his final cost? That'll determine everything.
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