Mets are finding out what Mariners already knew about Jorge Polanco

The Seattle Mariners have obviously not gotten off to the start they wanted to, but for the most part they have stayed healthy. There have been a few injuries on the team, but they have been able to avoid major injuries and nagging injury concerns.

That is something that former Mariner Jorge Polanco has been dealing with on his new team, the New York Mets. Polanco has been having Achilles tendinitis and has been in and out of the lineup for the Mets early this season.

This is not something new for Polanco, who dealt with similar issues during his first season with the Mariners in 2024, helping result in a 92 OPS+ and only 1.3 rWAR. He came back to the team in 2025 expected to play third base, but early in the season he was dealing with knee issues that limited his ability to play in the field. It was very strange at times last season because he was hitting really well but could only hit as a lefty even though he was a switch-hitter.

That knee bothered Polanco too much to hit right-handed for a while and kept him out of the field, but he somehow managed to put up great numbers in March/April last year. He hit .384/.418/.808 with nine home runs in just 22 games.

Mariners should be grateful for the path not taken with Jorge Polanco banged up again

Even though Polanco didn't hit to that level the rest of the season, he still was a big part of the season they had and helped them get to the ALCS. When it came time to determine whether or not to bring him back in free agency, the injury concerns surely played a big factor in the Mariners' decision making. By all accounts, it sounded like the Mariners wanted him back on a short-term deal, and he would have been a nice piece for this year.

But when the Mets swooped in with a two-year $40 million deal, it made sense the Mariners did not match that offer. The constant injury drama throughout 2024 and 2025 was not fun, and he would have eaten up a lot of the Mariners' budget and held the front office back from making other moves.

His injury history was concerning and if the Mariners would have signed him, then they probably would not have traded for Brendan Donovan, who has been one of the few Mariners hitters who hasn't been struggling this year. If the Mariners had kept Polanco and not made the Donovan trade, it would have likely solidified Polanco at DH and Ben Williamson at third base, and Rob Refsnyder probably wouldn't be here either. In that scenario, an injured Polanco would probably result in Mitch Garver getting a lof of DH at-bats, and the Mariners lineup would look even less scary than it does right now.

All in all, Polanco is a nice player who helped the Mariners last year, and he likely will help the Mets this year. Unfortunately, he has an injury history and his injuries can keep him from being in the lineup and in the field consistently. When he has been able to play at full strength he is a solid contributor to a playoff team, but when he is hurt it is simply a different story.