MLB News: Jorge Polanco, Mariners Reportedly Agree to Contract After Astros Rumors

The Seattle Mariners have agreed to bring infielder Jorge Polanco back into the mix pending a physical, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Polanco, who made his MLB debut in 2014, hit .213 (.651 OPS) with 16 home runs and 45 RBI last season for Seattle. The M's acquired Polanco from the Minnesota Twins last January for right-handed starter Anthony DeSclafani, right-handed reliever Justin Topa and minor league prospects Gabriel Gonzalez (outfielder) and Darren Bowen (right-handed pitcher).

The Houston Astros had serious interest in Polanco, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic.

However, Polanco will be returning to Seattle for his second year in town.

In Seattle, Polanco will play third base, per Ryan Divish of Seattle Times. That's a shift from last year, when Polanco manned second for Seattle while Josh Rojas took the hot corner. Rojas is now with the Chicago White Sox on a one-year deal, though, leaving third open for Polanco.

That then puts Dylan Moore at second base. Adam Jude of the Seattle Times threw out a potential lineup.

The 85-77 Mariners finished one game short of a wild card spot last year. Their strong rotation should certainly keep them in the running for the playoffs this year, but Seattle needs the lineup to step up from last season, when it was 10th in the American League in runs scored.

Seattle certainly hopes that Polanco can return to his Twins form in order to improve the offense. He played in Minnesota for 10 years and fared quite well overall. From 2021-2023, Polanco had a 120 OPS+ with a .796 OPS alongside a per-162 game average of 30 home runs and 97 RBI, per Baseball-Reference.

The 31-year-old is certainly capable of better production. We'll see if he and Seattle can improve upon last season soon enough, beginning when the team opens the season on March 27 against the Athletics.