Insider intel hints Mariners' loss of Jorge Polanco could have been worse

After a great rebound season and some playoff heroics, it was tough to watch Jorge Polanco sign with a new team. The Mets' final offer of $40 million over two years does seem steep but still, it threw a wrench into the Mariners' offseason plans and their infield options are only diminishing. However, there was a possibility that the whole ordeal could have turned out to be far more embarrassing.

The Rays were also in pursuit of Jorge Polanco and could've ultimately made a higher offer than the Mariners

According to a recent report by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Tampa Bay was also one of the final teams vying for a chance to bring Polanco onboard. It makes sense to lose a free agent to the Mets, who have consistently been one of the top teams in terms of payroll ever since Steve Cohen took over the franchise in 2020. In 2025, their 40-man roster cost an estimated $338.5 million, second only to the Dodgers.

In comparison, the Rays are working with pocket change. They spent under $80 million on their payroll in 2025 and have consistently been at the bottom of MLB in terms of spending, revenue, and attendance. They're consistently frugal and the largest free agent contract they have extended over the past 25 years was a three-year, $40 million deal given to Zach Eflin in 2023. He spent a season and a half on the team before being traded to the Orioles.

There's no shortage of dissatisfaction with Seattle's lack of spending, especially since this may be the franchise's best competitive window in years. Although the front office has stated that they will have more payroll flexibility this year, it's unclear how much more they'll be willing to shell out. To their credit, they did take the first big swing of the winter by committing nearly $100 million to Josh Naylor, but there's been a lack of subsequent moves.

Without further details on what Seattle and Tampa Bay were each willing to offer Polanco, it's difficult to ascertain what the indications of this report are. Perhaps the Mariners were only willing to spend up to $30 million and the Rays were thinking more along the lines of $20 million with some options tacked on. But if a situation did arise where Seattle ended up being more stringent with money than Tampa Bay, then this ownership and front office would've never been able to beat the cheapskate allegations.