It was time for the New York Mets to bring people into the building as opposed to wave them goodbye. After Pete Alonso left the team, the franchise needed a new presence on first base, and a $40 million deal just brought it.
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, infielder Jorge Polanco agreed on a two-year, $40 million deal. Passan reported he is expected to play first base and designated hitter for the Mets.
Polanco, who was an All-Star in 2019, can play second and third base too if needed. This brings some versatility on the diamond for the Mets. This is the first move the team has done after Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz’s departures and also, the Brandon Nimmo trade.
Polanco is a veteran presence but more needs to be done
While Polanco had an All-Star appearance in 2019, he hasn’t been able to go back to that form ever since. There’s no doubt that Polanco is a very good talent, but at 31 years old, Mets fans must wonder if he will ever go back to that version. After all, replacing Pete Alonso is no easy task.
Last season with the Mariners, Polanco had 26 home runs, 30 doubles and 125 hits. While good numbers, those are all below what Alonso posted. Hence, the Mets need more moves to help Polanco and the team replace what the Polar Bear brought to the team.
Polanco is expected to play a position he is not fully used to
Polanco will play first base, and while he has done it, he is more of a utility middle infielder than a pure first base. In fact, he only played one game at first base last season for the Mariners.
In the batting department, while his numbers are lower than Alonso’s, Polanco had clutch moments for the Mariners last year. He is not afraid of big moments and delivered constantly. Mets surely will love that part of Polanco’s game.