The picture is starting to clear up for the Seattle Mariners’ infield.
As second baseman Jorge Polanco and third baseman Eugenio Suárez remain available in free agency, it’s become clear that the Mariners are prioritizing the former. There’s also been almost no smoke about Suárez’s free agency ending, but we’ve heard that Polanco could theoretically sign any day now.
However, the Mariners have also consistently been linked to St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan via trade. Publicly, Seattle seemed to indicate that Polanco was the top priority once Josh Naylor re-signed, but Donovan might be an equally impactful player.
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Mariners need answers on Polanco, Donovan
On Wednesday, as the winter meetings concluded in Orlando, Adam Jude of the Seattle Times characterized the Mariners’ status as a holding pattern. They need answers, both from Polanco and from St. Louis president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom.
“That was to be expected for the M’s as they remain patient and wait out Jorge Polanco’s free-agent decision and on the St. Louis Cardinals to budge on Brendan Donovan,” wrote Jude.
Jude also reported Monday that Seattle seems to be unlikely to pick up both players and move one to third base or designated hitter. The club is comfortable with one veteran bat in the sixth slot in the order and putting Cole Young or Ben Williamson at third base.
“Dipoto envisions a scenario where a veteran hitter — be it Polanco, Donovan or someone else — bats in the No. 6 spot in the lineup, followed by Young and Williamson, in some order, with Crawford at No. 9,” wrote Jude.
There’s a case to be made that Donovan should be the Mariners’ primary target over Polanco, as he’s younger, cheaper, and will likely be a better defender. But the Mariners have also seen Polanco succeed wearing their uniform, which is a useful tiebreaker in many other scenarios.
They might not get the choice, but they should be weighing which avenue they prefer to pursue as decisions approach.
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