MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins have sent second baseman Jorge Polanco to the Seattle Mariners for four players, including a highly-ranked 20-year-old outfield prospect.
Polanco, a versatile infielder and prolific hitter, is the latest in a growing list of players who will not return to the Central Division-winning Twins. Starting pitchers Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda and Tyler Mahle all found new teams this offseason via free agency.
In return for Polanco, the Twins get outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez, who is ranked as the No. 79 overall prospect by MLB.com, starter Anthony DeSclafani, reliever Justin Topa and minor league pitcher Darren Bowen.
Polanco had spent his entire MLB career with the Twins after signing with the club in 2009. In 10 seasons with the Twins, he became a fan favorite, hitting .269 with 181 doubles, 112 home runs and 447 RBI. Polanco, a native of the Dominican Republic, was named an American League All-Star in 2019 and finished the season with a career-high .295 batting average.
He was also a valuable utility man in the field, spending time at second and third base, plus occasional stints at shortstop early in his career.
The 30-year-old Polanco became expendable with the emergence last season of rookie Edouard Julien for the Twins, who are trimming their club-record payroll from 2023 in light of the uncertainty around their regional broadcast revenue. Polanco will make $10.5 million this season, and his contract has a $12 million club option for 2025 with a $750,000 buyout.
Gonzalez joins the Twins after hitting .298 last season in Class A with 18 home runs and 84 RBI.
The 33-year-old DeSclafani was traded to the Mariners earlier this month from San Francisco. He was thought to be an option at the back end of Seattle’s rotation for the upcoming season. He’s made just 23 starts combined the past two seasons after having a career-best year in 2021 when he went 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA in 31 starts for San Francisco.
DeSclafani makes $12 million this year in the final season of a $36 million, three-year deal. Reports say the Mariners are sending cash to the Twins as part of the trade package to help cover DeSclafani's salary.
The right-handed Topa had a 2.61 ERA in 75 relief appearances as a rookie for the Mariners in 2023. Bowen, 23, went 4-2 with a 3.88 ERA in 2023, his first minor-league season.
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