Dec 22, 2025, 01:44 PM ET<\/p>\n
NEW YORK — Jorge Polanco<\/a>‘s experience playing first base is all of one pitch, but it figures to be his primary position next year after signing a $40 million, two-year contract<\/a> with the New York Mets<\/a>.<\/p>\n “I would think so,” Polanco said through a translator during a Zoom news conference Monday. “… They told me that I’d be playing a good amount of first base, but that I could also be bouncing around.<\/p>\n “I was offering my services to teams as a first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, so when the Mets asked if I was able to do that, play a little bit of first, play a little bit third, I was definitely willing to do that.”<\/p>\n Editor’s Picks<\/p>\n 2 Related<\/p>\n Polanco figures to be the replacement for fan favorite Pete Alonso<\/a>, who left the Mets as a free agent for a $155 million, five-year contract with Baltimore<\/a>. He was primarily a shortstop through 2020 and then a second baseman from 2020-24. Last year, he started mostly at designated hitter for the Seattle Mariners<\/a>, who came within one win of their first World Series trip.<\/p>\n His only action at first base came when San Francisco<\/a>‘s Wilmer Flores<\/a> lined a sinker off the end of his bat toward right field in the ninth inning of a tied game last April 6.<\/p>\n “It’s just like they always say, whenever you come into the game, the ball always finds you,” Polanco recalled. “When the ball was hit, I thought it was coming straight to me.”<\/p>\n Flores’ hit was way too far toward second for Polanco to have a chance and gave San Francisco a walk-off win over the Mariners.<\/p>\n A 32-year-old switch-hitter who has batted .260 against righties and .270 against lefties, Polanco was an All-Star in 2019 and set career bests three years later when he had 33 homers and 98 RBIs.<\/p>\n Mariners bench coach Manny Acta and infield coach Perry Hill approached Polanco this year about preparing for time at first.<\/p>\n “It was very easy because I had already spoken to my agent about starting to work out at first and trying to become a more versatile baseball player,” Polanco said. “When we approached them, they were essentially approaching us at the same time. So it was real easy and a really seamless transition.”<\/p>\n