Craig Breslow and the Red Sox have made it known that they’re looking to catch a big fish — maybe even two — this offseason.

That could mean a reunion with Alex Bregman or Kyle Schwarber. Both of whom were members on the last two Red Sox clubs to qualify for postseason play, with Bregman (obviously) on last year’s team and Schwarber on the 2021 club that made a run to the ALCS. It could also mean forking over the money to sign longtime Mets first baseman Pete Alonso. The Red Sox have been linked to all three through the opening weeks of free agency, for what it’s worth.

And now there’s a new name to add to the mix, with the Red Sox reportedly interested in free agent infielder Jorge Polanco. Boston’s latest link to Polanco came courtesy of the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, who cited Polanco as a ‘complementary’ piece of interest to the Red Sox this offseason.

In action for 138 games for the Mariners last year, Polanco hammered 26 home runs and drove in 78 RBIs for Seattle, while hitting .265 with a .495 slugging percentage and .821 OPS. Polanco’s 26 homers were his second-most in any single MLB season, trailing only his career-high 33 with the Twins in 2021. 

Polanco also had a strong postseason showing for the Mariners, all things considered. In a run headlined by his 15th-inning walkoff to send the M’s to the ALCS, Polanco hit just .208, but made his 10 total hits count, with three home runs, a double, and eight RBIs in 12 playoff games for Seattle. 

Polanco could also fill a need for the Sox in the sense that he plays both second and third base. Both positions could be positions of need for the Red Sox depending on what happens with Bregman. Or even if they keep Bregman.

Speier’s linking of Polanco to the Red Sox is not the first time it’s come up this offseason, with The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon calling Polanco a backup plan for the Sox in the event of a Bregman departure this offseason.

The context of Boston’s reported interest in Polanco is obviously worth noting, of course. As previously mentioned, Speier called him a complementary piece, while the first story linking him to the Red Sox called him a “backup plan.” In other words, he’s not a top choice in a market loaded with power bats.

But if the wild card round loss to the Yankees told us anything, it’s that the Red Sox could still use a stronger supporting cast around their developing core. And Polanco, who projects to make somewhere between $12-14 million per year on a shorter term deal, could be of assistance in their lineup.

The hope would just be that he’s not viewed as their top target. (And if he is, then something has gone very wrong with their other ‘big fish’ pursuits.)

A veteran of 1,088 MLB games, Polanco is a career .263 hitter, and has posted modest career numbers at Fenway Park, with a .250 average, .869 OPS, and five home runs and 17 RBIs in 20 career games in Boston.