Mariners could lose former trade piece to rival Astros in free agency

Few teams around the league are more in need of infield help than the Seattle Mariners; of that there is no doubt.

As of right now, Seattle is set at shortstop with JP Crawford, but every other spot in the infield is largely up for grabs. Luke Raley is a power-hitting option at first base while speedy prospect Ryan Bliss and utilityman extraordinaire Dylan Moore are in line for playing time at second and third base, but the need for more is apparent.

The Mariners have a ton of players at their disposal when it comes to upgrading the production on the dirt. Nolan Arenado, Alec Bohm, Pete Alonso, Christian Walker, Alex Bregman and Willy Adames all stick out above the rest.

As it turns out, the Mariners are far from the only club in the AL West that have a need around the infield. The defending division champion Houston Astros are also in the market for infield help now that they may be forced into life without Bregman. According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Astros are looking at Jorge Polanco, recently a member of the Mariners, as a backup option for their third base woes.

Former Mariners infielder linked to division rival on free-agent market

In what's likely going to be his only year on the Mariners, Polanco failed to deliver on expectations through his 118-game showing in Seattle. The switch-hitting veteran saw nearly all of his major offensive statistics dip from his career norms and wound up finishing his year with 16 home runs, 45 RBI, and a ghastly .213 batting average paired with a just-as-bad .651 OPS. It could have been tied to the knee injury he dealt with throughout the year, but the Mariners weren't willing to find out, so they cut him loose.

Polanco, an 11-year vet, managed just a 93 OPS+, which puts him seven percent below league-average. His defense faltered, too, combining with the rough offensive performances to make one hell of a down season.

All told, Polanco wound up finishing in the second percentile in Outs Above Average per Statcast, as well as in the eighth percentile in Arm Strength. If the Astros are serious about upgrading at third base post-Bregman, having Polanco sign there as their primary option at the hot corner would be the best-case scenario for the Mariners. Polanco's horrible defensive accumen would not perform well at third base, but if the Astros are willing to give it a whirl, more power to them.