With the MLB Winter Meetings set to begin Sunday in Orlando, Fla., free agent Jorge Polanco remains a top target for the Mariners to fill a middle-of-the-lineup opening.
A 32-year-old switch-hitter, Polanco is coming off one of the best seasons of his career while helping the Mariners reach the American League Championship Series. His ability to play second base, first base and fill a regular role as the designated hitter makes him an obvious fit for Seattle’s roster needs.
The Mariners have made their interest in Polanco well known, and a return to Seattle is believed to be Polanco’s preference, too. The two sides, though, do not appear to be close to a deal.
The market could come into focus for Polanco next week when industry executives and agents come together for the league’s annual meetings.
Polanco is seeking a multi-year contract, according to industry sources, and he’s expected to have healthy interest.
The Boston Red Sox have been linked to Polanco, and the New York Yankees have previously checked in on him. The Pittsburgh Pirates are aggressively pursuing offensive upgrades and they have expressed interest in Polanco, too.
The Pirates made a significant free-agent offer for another Mariners free agent, Josh Naylor, before the first baseman re-signed on a five-year, $92.5 million contract, filling Seattle’s most pressing need of the offseason.
The Mariners have also kept the door open for a potential reunion with free-agent third baseman Eugenio Suárez, though in that scenario the 34-year-old Suárez would likely split time between third base, first base and DH.
That’s because the Mariners are intent on giving 25-year-old Ben Williamson and 20-year-old top prospect Colt Emerson every chance to win the third-base job in spring training, part of an imminent youth movement around the M’s infield.
Cole Young, 22, is the leading candidate to take over at second base, with Leo Rivas and Ryan Bliss, when healthy, as other internal options.
Interestingly, another top prospect, Michael Arroyo, will begin a transition from second base to left field during the Colombian Winter League season this month. Arroyo, 21, played second base exclusively in the minor leagues this year, but because of the Mariners’ quality depth on the infield, the club projects Arroyo as a left fielder long-term, and he could push for a major-league promotion at some point in 2026.
Here are other options the Mariners are exploring in the infield, per sources with knowledge of the club’s plans:
Brendan Donovan, St. Louis Cardinals, INF/OF: Donovan was on the Mariners’ radar a year ago, and the M’s have again expressed interest in the versatile left-handed hitter.
If the Cardinals make him available, Donovan will attract a lot of teams for a lot of reasons. A first-time All-Star this year, Donovan is just 28 years old and he’s projected to make roughly $5 million in arbitration for 2026.
In an era of swing-and-miss, Donovan’s high-contact metrics stand out. His 13% strikeout rate ranked among the lowest in MLB this year, and he hit .287 with a .353 on-base percentage and a .775 OPS, 10 homers and 32 doubles. His 119 wRC+ (where 100 represents league average) ranked No. 5 among all MLB second baseman.
Primarily a second baseman, he also has considerable experience in left field, and some time at third base and shortstop.
With the departure of longtime utility player Dylan Moore late in the 2025 season, the Mariners could turn to Donovan for a similar role. With Donovan, though, the Mariners would plan to use him in an everyday capacity, and he would be a strong candidate to take over as the leadoff hitter, too.
Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks, 2B: Marte’s name has been one of the most popular floated in trade rumors this offseason, and that speculation figures to get louder at the winter meetings with uncertainty surrounding the Diamondbacks’ payroll.
Arizona executives have said a Marte trade is unlikely, and it’s even more unlikely the Mariners would bring him back to Seattle.
Marte, 32, is owed $91 million through his age-36 season, a reasonable number for baseball’s best second baseman.
But the Mariners have one of the sport’s strongest farm systems, and they’re especially stout in the infield talent. They do not want to block those prospects with aging veterans, and committing five years to any second baseman deep into his 30s would be entirely out of character for the Mariners’ roster-construction operations.
Brandon Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays, 2B: The Mariners and Rays have been regular trade partners over the past decade, and the M’s have regularly been linked to Lowe the past couple years.
Lowe is due $11.5 million in 2026, his final season before free agency, and the small-budget Rays are often willing to part with their priciest players.
Lowe has low defensive marks and high strikeout totals, but his 73 homers the past three seasons are more than any other second baseman in the AL. If the Mariners fall short in their pursuit of Polanco and Donovan, Lowe would represent a comfortable fallback option.