Jorge Polanco's farewell message to Mariners fans is genuinely heartfelt

Jorge Polanco is officially a New York Met as of Tuesday, thus closing the book on a two-year run with the Seattle Mariners that ended on a high note. In case any Mariners fans were wondering, it meant as much to him as it did to anyone in the Pacific Northwest.

You can take it from what Polanco posted to Instagram after his Mets deal became official:

"I cannot express with words how grateful me and my family are for the belief YOU had in me. First you traded for me and then you signed me when everyone else doubted me after surgery. YOU made me feel wanted and loved and I will be forever grateful for that. I became a better player and person because of YOU. YOU embraced my wife, kids, and me as one of your own...again, I will be forever grateful for that. YOU were an inspiration for me every night and I just wish we could have delivered you the trophy YOU deserve. I will always cherish my time with YOU...I will never forget these last two years because of YOU."

Jorge Polanco

The post wraps like so: "YOU= Seattle Fans, Teammates, Trainers, Coaching Staff, Front Office, and Owner. I will always smile thinking of YOU all."

Jorge Polanco's farewell message to Mariners fans is genuinely heartfelt

This is one of those that hits right in the feels, and all the evidence in the world says that it genuinely came from Polanco's heart. It never seemed like he wanted to leave Seattle as a free agent this winter, and Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reported that he was "very torn" when the Mets made their offer.

That he chose to accept it is nothing anyone can blame him for. He's getting $40 million over the next two years, a huge chunk of change for a guy whose career earnings to date amount to $45.9 million. And while the Mets didn't have as good a year as the Mariners in 2025, Steve Cohen has made his World Series aspirations clear.

The only thing for Mariners fans to do, then, is match Polanco's appreciation for his time in Seattle with their own. He had earned that right well before he poured his heart out in his farewell post, precisely because 2025 couldn't have been arguably the best year in franchise history without him.

It is not hyperbolic to say that Polanco had a special season from beginning to end. He delivered the Mariners' first win of the season with a game-winning home run on Opening Day, which proved to be just the first of 26 long balls in a huge turnaround season after a lost year in 2024. And come the playoffs, his walk-off in ALDS Game 5 was one of three straight game-winning RBIs in the playoffs.

Good luck in New York, Mr. Polanco. And rest assured that Seattle will never forget you either.