Latest Mariners intel opens door for Pirates to make a move on infield target

The Pittsburgh Pirates are reportedly all in on spending money in free agency in efforts to build a winning baseball team for the 2026 season. Pittsburgh has been linked to several big names that they could sign in free agency, including the Seattle Mariners' second baseman, Jorge Polanco.

Polanco is the second Seattle player who's been linked to the Pirates since the end of the season, as Josh Naylor was reported to be on Pittsburgh's radar before he returned. What's interesting about Polanco, though, is the fact that contract negotiations are reportedly not going well with the Mariners, despite their stated intention to reunite with as many of their 2025 ALCS stars as possible.

Adam Jude of the Seattle Times linked Polanco to the Pirates, Yankees, Red Sox and Mariners in free agency this week as the market continues to develop.

"The two sides (the Mariners and Polanco), though, do not appear to be close to a deal," Jude writes.

Pirates must be aggressive after Jorge Polanco update

If ever there was a time for Pittsburgh to be aggressive, it's now. The team finished with the worst offensive output in Major League Baseball in 2025, and Polanco would immediately become the best offensive player in the Pirates' lineup.

Polanco finished 2025 with a slash line of .265/.326/.821 with 26 homers and 78 RBI. The 32-year-old second baseman was one of the most clutch hitters in baseball, and certainly made his presence felt in the postseason, as he hit a walk-off single in the 15th inning of Game 5 of the Division Series to send the Mariners to the American League Championship Series.

Polanco is coming off one of his best seasons at the plate, and can play multiple positions. The Pirates should be looking to upgrade the middle of their infield with vacancy at shortstop (unless they call up Konnor Griffin) and a deficiency at second base. Nick Gonzales is a solid defender, but his bat just hasn't translated since becoming an everyday starter. With that being said, Gonzales is still a young player, and Polanco could end up just being the designated hitter, especially if the team doesn't bring back Andrew McCutchen.

The biggest issue facing the Pirates right now is the depth of their pockets. Polanco is clearly trying to rake in a multi-year contract after watching his teammate Naylor receive one, as well as the several other free agents that have received sizable contracts this offseason. Several reports have Polanco projected to receive three years and between $42-$45 million over that span.

The last multi-year contract the Pirates handed out in free agency was in 2016 when they signed pitcher Ivan Nova to a three-year deal worth $26 million. The Pirates had the fifth lowest payroll in baseball in 2025, and are projected to move down further in 2026. Still, Ben Cherington said during the GM Meetings that the team is looking to act more "aggressively," with unprecedented "flexibility" to do so.

With Seattle seemingly ice cold in making a deal with Polanco, it should feel as if the Pirates rumors are heating up again, but without tangible proof that management is willing to commit significant money in free agency, this one could remain just another rumor.