Player News
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Polanco signed a contract Monday with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. Polanco, 31, played his first season overseas in 2022 with the Yomiuri Giants, batting .240/.306/.457 with 24 home runs over 138 games. We last saw him in the majors in 2021, when he posted a .637 OPS with the Pirates.
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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.
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Polanco signed a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports. Polanco was let go by the Pirates over the weekend and didn't take long to latch on with a new team. The 29-year-old struggled in 107 games this season, hitting .208/.283/.354 with 11 home runs, 36 RBI, 38 runs and 14 stolen bases, and he's failed to provide much production since posting an .839 OPS with 23 homers and 81 RBI in 2018. The Blue Jays have plenty of outfield depth, so Polanco is unlikely to see much in terms of big-league opportunities -- if he even makes it to the majors -- barring multiple injuries among the likes of Teoscar Hernandez, George Springer, Corey Dickerson, Randal Grichuk and Lourdes Gurriel.
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The Pirates released Polanco on Saturday, Mike Persak of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. It was initially reported that the eight-year veteran had been designated for assignment, but he was in fact released and has become a free agent. Polanco's .208/.283/.354 slash line in 2021 casts doubt on his ability to sign a major-league deal with another team before the season ends.
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The Pirates designated Polanco for assignment Saturday, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports. This likely marks the end of Polanco's eight-year career with the Pirates, as he already went unclaimed when placed on outright waivers Sunday. Cole Tucker was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis.
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