Backup catcher target emerges for Seattle Mariners, per reports<\/a><\/p>\n Polanco is coming off a resurgent season with Seattle in which he authored some of the biggest hits in Mariners postseason history while helping the club come only one win shy of its first-ever World Series berth.<\/p>\n The 32-year-old switch-hitter batted .265 with an .821 OPS, 30 doubles, 26 home runs and 78 RBIs over 138 regular season games for the M\u2019s. He hit just .208 during Seattle\u2019s postseason run but had three homers and eight RBIs. His playoff heroics included hitting two home runs in Game 2 of the American League Division Series off AL Cy Young-winner Tarik Skubal, hitting the walkoff single in Game 5 of the ALDS and hitting a go-ahead, three-run homer in Game 2 of the AL Championship Series.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Polanco was one of baseball\u2019s most clutch hitters throughout the year. His 1.284 OPS and 259 wRC+<\/a> in high-leverage situations led all of MLB, and he was second with a .438 batting average.<\/p>\n Polanco turned down a $6 million player option at the end of the season to become a free agent. The option seemed like a viable choice for the veteran when it vested by him reaching 450 plate appearances in 2025. But it became clear when he finished the regular season on a tear and had numerous big hits in the postseason that he had outplayed that figure.<\/p>\n Initially acquired by the Mariners in an offseason trade in February 2024, Polanco\u2019s first season with Seattle was a disappointment. He hit just .213 in 118 games while playing through a knee injury that didn\u2019t become public knowledge until after the season<\/p>\n The Mariners somewhat surprisingly brought Polanco back on a one-year contract in free agency in February 2025 that proved to be incredibly important to their success last season. In Polanco\u2019s first 24 games, he slashed .394\/.434\/.816 for a 1.250 OPS with nine homers, five doubles and 25 RBIs. He won AL Player of the Week<\/a> honors in late April even though he been mostly limited during the first month to designated hitter duties and hitting solely from the left side of the plate due to an oblique injury.<\/p>\n Polanco had some rough patches during the season, but he caught fire again during the second half. Over his final 69 games, which saw him fully healthy and even playing sparingly at second base, Polanco slashed .286\/.351\/.563 for a .914 OPS with 15 homers, 21 doubles and 40 RBIs.<\/p>\n Prior to coming to the Mariners, Polanco had spent his entire career with the Minnesota Twins, who he signed with as an international free agent in 2009 out of the Dominican Republic. Polanco played 10 MLB seasons with the Twins, including an All-Star campaign in 2019.<\/p>\n In 1,088 games across 12 seasons with the M\u2019s and Minnesota Twins, he is a career .263 hitter with a .771 OPS and 154 home runs.<\/p>\n Polanco joining the Mets means one of the Mariners\u2019 top free agent targets is now off the market and they will have to look elsewhere for help at second base, third base or DH.<\/p>\n President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto told MLB Network<\/a> on Tuesday the club was hoping to sign or trade for another bat over the next week. We now know that bat won\u2019t be Polanco.<\/p>\n Seattle Sports writer Brent Stecker contributed to this report.\u00a0<\/p>\n More Seattle Mariners offseason coverage<\/p>\n \u2022 Drayer: Mariners\u2019 plan for 2B and 3B coming more into focus<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Salk: What we know and think about Mariners\u2019 offseason needs<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Why Nolan Arenado could make sense as a Mariners trade target<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Mariners pick two, lose one in minor league phase of Rule 5 draft<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0With a tweak, Jose Ferrer could be special in Mariners\u2019 bullpen<\/a><\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/SeattleSportsEmail-830x100-1.jpg\")
\t