The New York Yankees have checked in on infield free agent Jorge Polanco, according to Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post. The switch-hitting infielder took a pretty significant step back last season after being traded to the Seattle Mariners, as he posted just a 0.3 fWAR with a 92 wRC+ in 118 games, the worst season he’s had since his 2020 campaign which was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Entering his age-31 season, the Yankees would be taking a one-year flier on a player with an extensive track record of hitting and some familiarity with hitting coach James Rowson.
Polanco found his power stroke under the tutelage of Rowson, launching 22 home runs in 2019 and becoming one of the better power threats in the middle infield as a result. The Yankees have a clear need for an infielder, and while Polanco is an imperfect solution to their infield issues, he could certainly boost their offense with a healthy 2025 season.
Jorge Polanco Drawing Some Interest From Yankees in Free Agent Market
There are a couple of variables that worked against Jorge Polanco in 2024, as he went from Minnesota which is friendly for left-handed hitters to the worst ballpark in baseball to hit. Seattle has become an extremely poor place for hitters to recognize pitches and get the ball out of the yard, finishing dead-last in Park Factor while having by far the worst strikeout factor in baseball.
It’s no coincidence that Polanco struck out a career-worst 29.2% of the time, including a strikeout rate north of 31% on the road. Teoscar Hernandez experienced a massive rebound year after leaving T-Mobile Park, earning himself a three-year deal worth $66 million as a result. Another reason for his struggles could have been a nagging knee injury that he had surgery for this winter, and repairing that knee could result in a healthy and strong 2025 season.
With a wRC+ of at least 111 in each of his last five 162-game seasons leading up to his ugly 2024 campaign, Polanco has a strong track record with the bat that could appeal to the Yankees. Furthermore, his bat could benefit from moving to the Bronx, where he’d have the short porch in right field to work with when he hits from the left-handed side.
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There are some extra home runs that could come with that short porch in right field, if you chart all of his batted balls, he would have added two more home runs at Yankee Stadium. With a healthy knee and a home ballpark that doesn’t inflate strikeout rates dramatically, perhaps Polanco could be a productive player, but there are some warts in his game worth noting as well.
Jorge Polanco hasn’t played at least 150 games in a season since 2021 and is a butcher defensively at second base, with -27 OAA and +1 DRS in 3,241.1 innings at the position. Perhaps the Yankees move him to third base, where he wouldn’t be so reliant on his subpar range and would instead be able to just make defensive plays relying on his arm talent, allowing the speedy Jazz Chisholm to cover second base.
With reports coming out about interest in Brendan Rodgers, Luis Arraez, and Gavin Lux before he was traded to the Reds, the Yankees seem to be casting a wide net in their search for an infielder. With Spring Training still over a month away, its unlikely that Brian Cashman will rush the process of signing an infielder, especially as they try to offload Marcus Stroman and sign a left-handed reliever to bolster the bullpen.