Twins Video
Minnesota has employed Jorge Polanco for the entirety of his professional career. Signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic, Polanco debuted for the Ron Gardenhire Twins at 20. He played for Paul Molitor and is now coached by Rocco Baldelli. As an elder statesman of the franchise at 30, he has only known Minnesota.
Coming into the year, it seemed unlikely that Polanco would reach the necessary 550 plate appearances for his 2024 option to vest. Injuries allowed him to play just 104 games last year, and he has only surpassed 550 plate appearances twice previously in nine major league seasons. Having missed time again this season and trending towards something like 85 games played, Polanco and the Twins will have a decision to make.
Minnesota gave Polanco a $10.5 million vesting option when he was extended before the 2019 season. Polanco and Max Kepler were signed to long-term deals simultaneously, and they are now reaching the option years of those contracts. If the Twins were to cast Polanco aside, he would receive a $1 million buyout.
Through 39 games, Polanco had bottomed out with a .680 OPS. He then missed most of June and almost all of July. Returning after the All-Star Break, on the 28th of July, he has played in 38 games for the Twins since. Across that stretch, he owns a .269/.380/.470 slash line with six doubles and seven home runs. In his last 25 games, Polanco has posted a .954 OPS and has been among the hottest hitters in Minnesota’s lineup.
Polanco will represent a veteran presence at second base alongside rookie Edouard Julien as the Twins trend toward the postseason. The emergence of the Canadian is among the top reasons the Twins may opt against forking out $10.5 million at the same position next season, but Polanco has at least made it a conversation.
Derek Falvey and Thad Levine not only have to construct a roster for 2024 with financial implications in mind, but they also have many top prospects pushing for big-league playing time.
Royce Lewis has already joined Julien on the dirt for the Twins, and while he could move to a new position, Brooks Lee is also at the doorstep. Austin Martin isn’t the same infield prospect he was when Minnesota acquired him in exchange for Jose Berrios, but he’s another player that should factor in a year from now.
Keeping Polanco may be less about the dollars and more about where his playing time will come. On top of that, the Twins will need to have some level of belief that he will be healthy enough to be a contributor next season. Playing less than 100 games and at 31-years-old, footing a $10.5 million bill for Polanco could be tough to swallow. At 1.4 fWAR, Fangraphs values his production as worth $10.8 million, but an organization surely would like to see a surplus from a player rather than a break-even point.
What the Twins do with the long-tenured infielder for 2024 remains to be seen, and much of that could still be decided by how he maintains down the stretch and into the postseason. Still, considering the slow start and injuries this year, it’s notable that Polanco has made this a conversation. Much like Kepler, the player he signed alongside, turning a future into a discussion rather than an expected conclusion is something to be proud of.
The Twins will need Polanco to continue producing like a veteran leader in the postseason, and if he does, there could be a greater reward for him yet.
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now