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4 players with options the Pittsburgh Pirates should monitor

There are some players with options that could hit free agency at the start of the offseason, and they should be names the Pirates consider pursuing.

ByNoah Wright|
Jul 30, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles first base Ryan O'Hearn (32) reacts after hitting a two run single against the Toronto Blue Jays in the third inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Jul 30, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles first base Ryan O'Hearn (32) reacts after hitting a two run single against the Toronto Blue Jays in the third inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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Jorge Polanco

Jorge Polanco was a staple in the Minnesota Twins' infield from 2016 through 2023. But last offseason, the Twins felt it was time to move on from the veteran switch-hitter and traded him to the Seattle Mariners. However, his first year in Seattle was not great. He batted just .213/.296/.355 with a .287 wOBA and 92 wRC+. Polanco struck out 29.2% of the time and only hit 16 home runs, sporting a .141 isolated slugging percentage in 469 plate appearances. One of the few positives is that he still managed to draw walks at a respectable 9.8% rate.

Polanco's season wasn't good, but there are some decent numbers under the hood that could indicate a rebound next year. He had some drastic home/away splits. At T-Mobile Park, he had just a .606 OPS, .269 wOBA, and 86 wRC+. When playing on the road, he had a much better .698 OPS, .304 wOBA, and 98 wRC+. Those numbers may still not be great, but there's a pretty drastic difference.  Polanco also had a sizeable difference between his wOBA and xwOBA of .311 on the season. Add in the injury that nagged him and was recently addressed surgically, and the picture becomes clearer.

This makes sense, given the Mariners' home park is by far the most pitcher-friendly park in baseball. According to Baseball Savant, Tropicana Field has the second lowest park factor of 96. T-Mobile has a park factor of just 91, with the lower the number indicating how pitcher-friendly the environment is. It is also the only park with no offensive factors that favor hitters. Meanwhile, Target Field, the Minnesota Twins' home park, is considered the sixth most hitter-friendly park in baseball.

It's not as if Polanco doesn't have a good track record of hitting. either. From 2021 to 2023, he batted .255/.333/.462 with a .342 wOBA and 120 wRC+ with the Minnesota Twins. He only struck out 21% of the time with a 10.1% walk rate, and hit for a decent amount of pop. His isolated slugging percentage was above .200 at .207.

Defensively, Polanco has never graded out as a great glove up the middle, and 2024 was no different. He had -1 defensive run saved and -10 outs above average at the keystone. He has a ton of experience at shortstop as well as the hot corner. 

The Mariners currently hold a $12 million club option with a $750K buyout. Polanco could definitely benefit from a new ballpark. PNC Park is similar to Target Field in terms of park factor. Polanco could help ease the workload for Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Nick Gonzales up the middle next year. Plus, with Ke'Bryan Hayes recovering from a herniated disc, Polanco could help mitigate some of his strain at the hot corner. 

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