The Pirates may again be trying to make the Mariners' nightmare into reality

At some point this winter, Seattle Mariners fans are going to have to accept a weird new reality: the Pirates keep showing up in our business. First it was Josh Naylor. Now, here in the middle of the Winter Meetings, they’re reportedly lining up a run at Jorge Polanco — the exact kind of switch-hitting, professional bat Seattle just watched put their offense back together.

Pittsburgh’s flirtation with Naylor was the first warning sign. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported they were ready to push into the $78–80 million range for him, a staggering figure for a franchise that usually shops in the “three-years-and-a-dream” aisle. Naylor never let it get that far, jumping on the Mariners’ five-year, $92.5 million offer before the Pirates really got to the table. 

Pirates won’t stop trying to crash the Mariners’ offseason plans

Then came Schwarber. Multiple reports had the Pirates putting a four-year offer in the $120–125 million neighborhood on the slugger’s doorstep. Schwarber still chose the Phillies’ five-year, $150 million reunion, but the message was loud: this version of the Pirates is actually willing to spend like a grown-up. 

Now that the Schwarber dream is dead, they’ve pivoted to Polanco. Pirates beat writers have linked them heavily to the Mariners’ free-agent infielder, with an offer “expected to be on the table soon.”  

On paper, it makes plenty of sense for Pittsburgh: a 2.6-WAR hitter who just launched 26 homers with a 134 OPS+ in 2025, capable of moving around the dirt while Jared Triolo’s versatility covers the rest.

For Seattle, it’s a little more nerve-wracking. Local reporting has already floated the possibility that the Pirates could simply have the bigger pile of cash for Polanco, forcing a choice between “more money in Pittsburgh” and “less to stay with a contender in Seattle.” That tracks with what The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal has suggested: Polanco cares about comfort and winning, and may not leap at the chance to join a club that hasn’t sniffed October since 2015 — even if they’re the top bidder. 

That’s the Mariners’ tiny bit of leverage here. The nightmare scenario is the Pirates deciding they have to land somebody after missing on Naylor and Schwarber, and overpaying just to throw their fanbase a bone — accidentally ripping a hole in Seattle’s infield in the process.

But if Polanco’s priorities really are stability and winning, the Mariners don’t have to “beat” Pittsburgh’s best offer. They just have to stay somewhere in the same zip code, remind him what this roster can do with him in the middle of it, and let the Pirates keep swinging at our dreams instead of our players.