The Minnesota Twins have traded second baseman Jorge Polanco to the Seattle Mariners in a five-player deal, according to reports. ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the trade. The Mariners are sending four players (two major league, two minor league) to the Twin Cities in exchange for Polanco. These are right-handers Darren Bowen, Justin Topa, and Anthony DeSclafani, as well as outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez.
The haul that Minnesota will reportedly receive for 2B Jorge Polanco ? pic.twitter.com/cArUaI8tRv
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 30, 2024
Jorge Polanco Traded to Mariners
Polanco is entering his 11th major league season in 2024. He first came up with the Twins briefly in 2014, then had another short stint the following season. Polanco’s breakout campaign came in 2017. Playing in 133 games that year, he hit .256 with 13 homers, 74 RBI, and a .723 OPS. Polanco’s first (and so far only) All-Star appearance was two years later in 2019. He upped his average to .295 and hit 22 homers with 79 RBI, a .841 OPS, 186 hits, and 306 total bases. This performance garnered Polanco a 13th-place finish in AL MVP voting. In the two latter seasons, he helped lead the Twins to the postseason. Polanco should provide Seattle with a fairly consistent bat at second along with some power.
Heading to Minnesota
In acquiring an established major leaguer in Polanco, the Mariners had to send a sizable haul back to the Twins. Anthony DeSclafani is a veteran starter who should fit somewhere within the Twins rotation. The 33-year-old righty has a career 4.20 ERA in nine major league seasons, spending time with the Miami Marlins, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants. Topa also provides major league experience, in his case out of the bullpen. After limited outings across three seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, he saw a lot of action with Seattle in 2023. In 75 appearances comprising 69 innings, Topa pitched to a 2.61 ERA with 61 strikeouts. He pitched mostly in middle relief but also finished 14 games and picked up three saves.
On the minor league end, Gonzalez rates as the Mariners’ No. 3 prospect on MLB.com, and ranks 79th overall. The 20-year-old has not played above High-A ball, so he will likely need some more minor league experience before being called up. However, of the players they are acquiring, the Twins are likely the most bullish on his potential. Meanwhile, Bowen was a 13th-round draft pick by Seattle in 2022, and had a 3.88 ERA in his first year with Single-A Modesto, mostly as a starter.
Photo Credit: “Jorge Polanco, Minnesota Twins 6, Pittsburgh Pirates 4, Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota” by Ken Lund is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
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