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Polanco signed a contract Wednesday with the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.
After beginning his time in affiliated ball as a highly touted prospect for the Pirates, Polanco was rewarded with a five-year, $35 million contract extension in the spring of 2016, following a productive first two seasons in the big leagues. Polanco made good on the first three years of the extension with a .255/.324/.455 slash line (105 wRC+), but his production dipped considerably in the two-plus years that followed before Pittsburgh released him in August. Polanco finished the 2021 campaign in the Blue Jays organization after agreeing to a minor-league deal, but after hitting free agency during the offseason, he wasn't able to land an MLB contract before the lockout began Dec. 1. He'll now head overseas in an attempt to revive his career with the hope of generating renewed interest stateside heading into 2022; however, now that Polanco is on the wrong side of 30, it's possible he's made his last MLB appearance.
