After the understandable disappointment which surrounded the Seattle Mariners re-signing Jorge Polanco last offseason, he then went out and proved a lotof people wrong. He set a career-high with a 134 OPS+, reinforced his worth with some clutch hits during the playoffs and was named an AL Silver Slugger finalist at second base.
Despite, or maybe because of, this turn of events, there’s now every chance Polanco will be playing elsewhere next season. As expected, he officially declined his 2026 player option and he’s as free as a free agent can be after not getting a qualifying offer.
If the 2019 All-Star does leave, then Cole Young in standing by to take over at second base and certainly has the potential to succeed. However, what if there’s another option out there who could be a better fit, and in some respects would even conceivably represent an upgrade over Polanco?
Brendan Donovan stands out as a trade option
If you take a look at MLB Trade Rumors’ top 40 trade candidates for the 2025-26 offseason, there aren’t really a ton of surprises, but one who does stand out is Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals. Steve Adams suggests he would be an excellent fit for a number of contenders including the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals and yes, the Mariners.
In truth, there’s plenty to like about the possibility of Donovan suiting up for the Mariners, starting with him being a known quantity as a contact-heavy OBP guy. His Baseball Savant page displays just what he’s capable of as highlighted by ranking in the 96th percentile for Squared-Up% and 95th percentile for Whiff%, as well as the 94th percentile for LA Sweet-Spot% and xBA.
This could have Donovan primed to solve one of the M’s biggest problems throughout this past season by batting leadoff next year. He would also help the team’s ongoing efforts to scale back collectively on strikeouts, with them still having the sixth-most in 2025 one year after leading the majors in this category.
Mariners can still have their cake and eat it
For anyone who wants to see Young get a fair crack of the whip at second base, bringing in an accomplished veteran wouldn’t necessarily mean the youngster has to lose his job. Aside from second base, Donovan also has plenty of experience in the outfield, while additionally having seen playing time at the other three infield positions.
Further, as much as Mariners ownership has seemingly indicated they will make significant funds available to the front office during this winter, Donovan is an extremely affordable proposition. He’s projected to make $5.4 million next season and is controlled via arbitration through 2027.
There is the prospect of battling the aforementioned competitors and others for Donovan, but at least the Mariners are in an strong position with their farm system when it comes to enticing the Cardinals with a prospect or two to make a trade. Overall, it makes a whole lot of sense for Jerry Dipoto and company to pursue one of the top versatile options in the majors to help their quest to finally win an AL Pennant and play in the World Series.
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