Mariners' Second Base solution may already be in Seattle

The Mariners have been making a handful of moves as the Trade Deadline approaches. Second base is a need, but the solution may already be in Seattle

Minnesota Twins v Seattle Mariners
Minnesota Twins v Seattle Mariners / Brandon Sloter/GettyImages

One of the Mariners' most disappointing free agent acquisitions this past offseason has been second baseman Jorge Polanco. The former All-Star is in the midst of the worst season of his career, hitting just .210 while also missing time on the IL. Recently, though, he has been on a tear.

Polanco is having his best month of the season, hitting for a .755 OPS thanks to an increased slugging percentage (.443). He's hit four home runs this month, including three in two games against the White Sox, and has been an above-average hitter during July (103 sOPS+). He has also posted a .378 xWOBA over his last 100 plate appearances, far above the league average.

Jorge Polanco is the Mariners Best Second Base Option

He is certainly not where he was in his prime with the Twins, and barring an unbelievable second half, he is still set to finish with his lowest WAR total in half a decade (excluding 2020). However, the 2024 Seattle Mariners don't need prime Polanco.

It would be nice to see him completely turn it around, but a version of Polanco that is simply a league-average hitter is what this team needs. With recent acquisitions of Randy Arozarena and Justin Turner, Seattle has added two batters that have been just above league-average in 2024. July Polanco for the rest of the season would give them a third.

A lineup including the aforementioned players, as well as Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, Dylan Moore, and Luke Raley would give this offense seven league-average or better hitters, with Josh Rojas (97 OPS+) just missing the cutoff. For this reason, Seattle can rely on Polanco at second base and hope his performance this month is sustainable.

With Jazz Chisholm going to the Yankees, there is not a clear upgrade the Mariners can make via trade. Instead, Polanco, who has not posted an OPS under 100 since 2020, is Seattle's best shot at league-average production at second base. While he is not the most exciting option, Jorge Polanco can be a solid contributor to this team during the playoff push.

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