The New York Mets have reportedly found their replacement for Pete Alonso at first base. That replacement appears to be Jorge Polanco. Polanco spent the last two seasons with the Seattle Mariners after beginning his career with the Minnesota Twins. Alonso signed a 5-year, $155 million free agent contract with the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday. New York inked the free agent middle infielder to a two-year, $40 million deal on Saturday. Here is a look at the Polanco signing.
Big Shoes To Fill For Jorge Polanco
Infielder Jorge Polanco and the New York Mets are in agreement on a two-year, $40 million contract, sources tell ESPN. He is expected to play first base and DH.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 13, 2025
Polanco will be brought in to primarily play first base, a position that had been filled by Alonso for the past seven seasons. Alonso slashed .253/.341/.516 as a Met and holds the team’s career home run record with 264 and single-season mark with 53. He was a five-time All-Star, the 2019 NL Rookie of the Year, and a 2025 Silver Slugger winner. With the exception of the 2020 pandemic season, Alonso hit over 30 homers every year. He topped forty home runs in 2022 and 2023, and 50 homers in his 2019 rookie campaign. Those will be big shoes to fill at first base for a player who has only played the position for one batter in his entire career.
What Jorge Polanco Brings To The Table 
Oct 13, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Seattle Mariners infielder Jorge Polanco (7) singles in the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game two of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Polanco is no slouch, but he is not Alonso. He has hit thirty home runs in a season only once, mashing 33 in 2021. For his career, he has slashed .263/.330/.442, and he was selected to the 2019 AL All-Star team. Polanco hit .265 last season for the Mariners with 26 home runs and 78 RBI. He has 154 career home runs. Polanco was primarily a designated hitter for Seattle last season, though he did play 38 games at second base, five games at third, and first base for one at-bat.
Polanco had some clutch moments for Seattle in the 2025 postseason. In Game Two of the AL Division Series, Polanco crushed two homers off of Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. He then had the walk-off hit in Game Five that sent the Mariners on to the League Championship series. There, he helped the team grab a 2-0 lead with two RBIs in Game One and a go-ahead three-run homer in Game Two.
End Of My Jorge Polanco Rant 
Sep 28, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) looks on after the game against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Let’s face it, no one was going to fully replace Alonso at first base for the Mets. “The Polar Bear” was a homegrown talent and a fan favorite. Mets fans did expect their front office to try a little harder than this, though. Polanco has spent most of his career playing shortstop and second base. He is not only a year older than Alonso, but he is also much less durable. Alonso missed just 24 games in his seven seasons, all in New York. Polanco has played just 80 more games than Alonso, and he will be entering his 13th season next year.
Alonso obviously has the power advantage, but he also walks more. He drives in more runs and scores more runs. While he is not considered a good fielder, he still maintained a .992 fielding percentage. Polanco’s career fielding percentage is .968, though the middle infield positions are considered more difficult to play.
Oct 13, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Seattle Mariners infielder Jorge Polanco (7) circles the bases after hitting a three-run home run in the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game two of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Polanco will spend some time at DH, as well. If you are looking for a first baseman to split time at DH, there were some other interesting choices available. There is a 28-year-old three-time batting champion available in Luis Arraez. New York could have made a run at a different Mariner, 28-year-old 1B/DH Josh Naylor. Naylor hit .295 last season with 20 homers, 92 RBI, and 30 steals. There is a reason Seattle re-signed him and let Polanco go. 32-year-old former Phillie and Brewer Rhys Hoskins is another interesting choice. He would offer more power and a higher on-base percentage than Polanco, with just as much injury risk.
As for Polanco’s 2025 playoff run, he had several clutch hits for Seattle, but let’s not forget he hit just .208 in the postseason with a .268 on-base percentage. For his career, Polanco has slashed just .209/.308/.385 in 105 plate appearances across 24 postseason games. If the Mets‘ goal is to win a World Series, on paper, Polanco does not look like a good fit. Alonso, by the way, has slashed .278/.429/.574 in the postseason for his career.
With Steve Cohen’s seemingly always-open checkbook, New York should have re-signed Alonso long-term. They had multiple opportunities to do just that and blew it. They could have tried to land Naylor, Arraez, or Hoskins, but instead chose Polanco. Maybe there is another deal in the works that makes this one make more sense. Perhaps they are saving the big bucks for Kyle Tucker and a front-end starter. Maybe they are looking at Cody Bellinger, Alex Bregman, Adolis Garcia, or Eugenio Suarez. The team could even be planning on signing Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami. For Mets fans, it will take at least one of those moves to make the Polanco signing make sense.