Jim Bowden of The Athletic is baffled by the Mets’ reasoning behind signing Jorge Polanco.
In particular, the former MLB general manager says it “makes zero sense” how the club framed the signing as filling its needs at first base and designated hitter. Especially after letting the Mets’ all-time home run leader, a fan favorite, Pete Alonso, sign with the Orioles.
“You don’t like (Alonso) defensively at first base. Wait what? But you like Polanco at first base, who played one inning of one game over there,” Bowden said on “Foul Territory,” via X/Twitter. “And by the way, Pete Alonso is elite at scooping and picks. He’s elite at it. How many errors has he saved the third baseman, shortstop and second baseman over the years in New York?
“Sure, he lets runs in; sure, he has a lack of range. I get it. He also drives in 125 (RBIs), so if he lets in 15 or 20 (runs), he more than makes up for it.”
While Alonso did lead all first basemen with 10 errors last season, he also recorded a position-best 29 scoops, a metric that measures a first baseman’s ability to save errant throws. The next closest player was Dodgers star Freddie Freeman, who finished with 24 scoops, according to FanGraphs.
Bowden also noted that Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns suggesting Polanco could “easily” slide over to first was unrealistic. While the position is dismissed as the easiest in infield, it’s far more complicated than it looks.
“Have you asked that to Bryce Harper or Willson Contreras or anybody else?” Bowden asked.
According to the former GM, assuming a player can simply move there without proven experience ignores the defensive value of the position and the impact it has across the entire infield.
“And look, I like Polanco. Don’t get me wrong. He’s a good player. His knees are healthy. I get it, but let’s be realistic,” Bowden said. “You got rid of a 40 home run bat for a 20 home run bat. You got rid of 120 RBIs for 70 RBIs. That’s what you did. Your offense just downgraded.”
Polanco, 32, had a career-best 132 wRC+ with Seattle this year, hitting .265 with a .862 OPS and 26 home runs. His numbers from the right side of the plate against left-handed pitchers were particularly impressive in 2025, an important piece of the puzzle as the Mets try to protect Juan Soto in their lineup.