Though infield help likely ranks low on the list of the New York Yankees’ priorities this offseason, that doesn’t mean they won’t look into ways to upgrade the unit over the next few months.

Jorge Polanco is among the top middle infielders available on the free agent market following a strong season for the Seattle Mariners, and the Seattle Times’ Adam Jude revealed that the Yankees have previously shown interest in him.

“The Boston Red Sox have been linked to Polanco, and the New York Yankees have previously checked in on him,” Jude wrote. “The Pittsburgh Pirates are aggressively pursuing offensive upgrades and they have expressed interest in Polanco, too.”

Yankees Circling Back?

After allowing Gleyber Torres to walk in free agency and ultimately sign with the Detroit Tigers last offseason, the New York Post’s Mark W. Sanchez reported that the Yankees checked in on Polanco before he ended up back in Seattle.

Polanco was traded to the Mariners from the Minnesota Twins, with whom he spent the first 10 years of his big-league career, ahead of the 2024 campaign. The switch-hitter struggled mightily that year while playing his home games at T-Mobile Park, a notoriously pitcher-friendly stadium, finishing with a .651 OPS across 469 plate appearances while his $12 million club option was declined.

Despite all of that, however, Polanco returned to Seattle on a one-year deal that was worth a base value of $7 million and included a $6 million vesting player option for 2026 that he’d go on to decline.

The 32-year-old played a key role in the Mariners’ magical season that saw them fall to the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, as he mashed 26 home runs with an .821 OPS over 524 regular season plate appearances before hitting three homers during the playoffs.

Is Polanco a Good Fit for New York?

Polanco underwent knee surgery last offseason to repair his patellar tendon and dealt with soreness as a result in 2025, though he still played in 138 games.

He primarily played shortstop for the Twins earlier in his career, though he hasn’t appeared at the position since 2022, and he’s logged just 146 innings at third base since the 2023 campaign.

At this stage, Polanco is essentially a second baseman who can serve as a club’s designated hitter and potentially head over to the hot corner in a pinch, even if he didn’t grade out well there this past season with -2 Outs Above Average and -2 Defensive Runs Saved in 43 frames.

Considering the Yankees have one of the league’s second basemen on their roster in Jazz Chisholm Jr., who isn’t expected to be moved despite entering his final year of club control, Polanco wouldn’t necessarily have a defensive home in New York.

Ryan McMahon is a safer option at third base, so to speak, for the Yankees given his defensive prowess, and Polanco is no longer a true option at shortstop.

With Giancarlo Stanton set to serve as New York’s primary DH once again in 2026, Polanco would be resigned to a bench role for the team in all likelihood despite being a switch-hitter coming off a big year.

Since Polanco is deserving of a starting role and should have a somewhat strong market, it’s hard to see him and the Yankees hammering out a deal this offseason.

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