Former Mariner Jorge Polanco is a flawed yet intriguing option for the Angels
From 2019 until 2021, the now 31-year-old Jorge Polanco seemed to be on a superstar trajectory, 2020's COVID-shortened season not withstanding. With the Minnesota Twins in 2019, the then 25-year-old Polanco broke out to the tune of a .295/.356/.485 line with 22 dingers and a 120 wRC+ en route to a 3.3 fWAR season.
The abbreviated 2020 season was a poor showing for him, but that can be excused by the small sample and unusualness of it all, especially when he returned to form in 2021 crushing 33 long balls while slashing .269/.323/.503 posting a 124 wRC+ and 4.0 fWAR.
A variety of injuries limited Polanco to 104 games in 2022 and just 80 games in 2023, and while he was still productive with the bat he failed to reach his past heights even in the abbreviated playing time.
Polanco found himself traded to the Seattle Mariners and completed his 2024 campaign in the Pacific Northwest, where he put together the worst season of his career since 2017. He hit an anemic .213/.296/.355 which was good for a poor wRC+ of 92. Never known for his glove, he became a butcher in the field recording -10 OAA further tanking his value to produce just 0.3 fWAR.
Injuries again played a role, and he underwent offseason knee surgery though he is expected back in time to participate in spring training. While the injuries could explain some of his offensive decline, as well as an unfavorable ballpark in Seattle, his strikeout rate has steadily climbed from a very solid 16.5% in 2019 to an almost untenable 29.2% in 2024.
Red flags abound with Polanco, and while he doesn't have the defensive chops to fall back on if he repeats 2024's performance, he has enough of a track record of offensive performance to squint and see some value as a bounce-back candidate.