Jorge Polanco: B
I’d love to love this signing more. The Mets are essentially paying Jorge Polanco three year’s worth of what he should get over only two years. This perspective should have us appreciating the deal more rather than lambasting it for what it is: a short-term overpay for a questionable player.
Polanco’s move off of second base and over to first base is a huge talking point, yet not as frightening. Every middle infielder should one day be able to make the transition. If he was replacing anyone other than the franchise’s all-time home run leader, and a very popular one at that, the heart could agree with the head more about this being a good deal.
The Polanco signing gets a B with little potential to move upward. That seems to be the best of what it can end up as. He’s not about to put up Alonso-like numbers.Â
Why like this deal at all? The Polanco signing had other fallout. It allowed the Mets some salary space to make additional moves while also giving them the leeway to provide playing time to Baty and Vientos at first base and DH.
While moves like trading for Luis Robert Jr. and Freddy Peralta had been discussed for months, this one was a complete shocker even more so than Bichette. Since 2021, Polanco is averaging 28.7 home runs per 162 games. He won’t play all 162, but he’s going to be a productive middle of the order hitter.
