Twins Trade Jorge Polanco to Mariners
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
The Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners came to an agreement on Monday, with former All-Star infielder Jorge Polanco heading to Seattle in a trade for reliever Justin Topa, starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani, outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez, and pitcher Darren Bowen. Minnesota will also receive cash considerations.
Polanco, 30, is the headliner of the exchange, providing Seattle with a consistently-above-average bat who will likely slot in at second or third base for the Mariners. Polanco has enjoyed the last decade with the Twins, a tenure highlighted by an All-Star appearance in 2019 and assisting in Minnesota’s first playoff series win since 2002.
The Twins deemed Polanco to be expendable with the emergence of second baseman Edouard Julien this past season. The Mariners receive a .269/.334/.446 career hitter to boost their AL West and World Series aspirations. The Twins recently exercised a $10.5 million option on Polanco; his contract includes a $12 million club option for 2025.
Minnesota has been very quiet this offseason and likely made this move to cut payroll. The Twins have witnessed the departures of Cy Young Award runner-up and All-Star starting pitcher Sonny Gray to the St. Louis Cardinals, starters Kenta Maeda to the Detroit Tigers and Tyler Mahle to the Texas Rangers, and reliever Emilio Pagan to the Cincinnati Reds in free agency.
Despite the loss of Polanco, the Twins received a healthy sum in return for his services. Top-100 outfield prospect Gabriel Gonzalez, 20, is the prize for Minnesota and projects to reach the majors in 2026, per MLB.com. Gonzalez is one of four Top-100 prospects in the Twins’ farm system.
Topa, 32, enjoyed his best season in the majors last year, tossing a 2.61 (Estimated Run Average) ERA through 69 innings. The former Mariner is under club control through 2026.
DeSclafani, 33, began the winter in San Francisco before being traded to Seattle, who then shifted and packaged his expiring $12 million salary in a deal with the Twins. DeSclafani registered a 4.88 ERA in 99.2 innings in 2023, but is two years removed from a career year in 2021 with 3.17 ERA in 167.2 innings.
It is rumored that the cash considerations via Seattle will be used to soften the blow of DeSclafani’s contract on the Twin’s books.
