Latest Jorge Polanco buzz gives Pirates chance to top Mariners (with a ticking clock)

Now that the Pirates are officially out of the Kyle Schwarber market, it's time to really crack down on more realistic targets. One that stands out is Jorge Polanco, and there has been a lot of buzz around him during the Winter Meetings.

As soon as Schwarber signed, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reported that the Pirates are expected to send an offer to Polanco soon. Polanco was one of the bigger pieces in the Mariners' 2025 ALCS run. He appears to be Pittsburgh's immediate pivot after missing out on Schwarber, and they may have an advantage.

The Mariners have made it clear this offseason that they wanted to bring Polanco back. The only problem between the two sides is that Seattle doesn't want to pay what Polanco is looking for. According to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, Polanco is looking for more than $12M a year for three to four years. Divish added that Seattle prefers a two-year deal with the possibility of an option to add that third season.

At 32 years old, there is a slight risk with adding more years, yet it shouldn't concern Pittsburgh too much. Their decade-long stretch of missing the playoffs and recent 71-win season just isn't an appealing foundation to free agents. They must take these types of risks if they want any chance to land them.

Ken Rosenthal reported that Polanco "values comfort and winning." Pittsburgh doesn't exactly fit what he is seeking, but if they offer that fourth year with an AAV around his desired $13M-$15M, he may sign with them. That is the risk that the Pirates need to take if they want to add that big time bat they have been talking about all offseason.

Latest Mariners rumor in Jorge Polanco sweepstakes gives Pirates ultimate chance to add impact bat.

With all of these rumors coming out, the Polanco market appears to be moving quickly. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN reported that Polanco is expected to sign during the Winter Meetings. The Rule 5 Draft is the last event of the 2025 meetings, so a signing could be imminent.

Ben Cherington has not been able to land a player on a contract for longer than one year yet during his time with the Buccos. That streak continued with the Tuesday signing of Gregory Soto. This would be the perfect way to snap that streak in Year 7 as general manager.

The buzz around Polanco makes it feel like the Pirates have a real shot at signing them. They can't offer some cheap deal, though. To sign him, they will need to give him the years that he wants. As risky as that is, the Pirates need to take this gamble. Cherington better act fast, or someone else might take him first.