MMO Roundtable: Reactions To Jorge Polanco + What The Mets Should Do Next

In the midst of our heartbreak over Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso, we haven’t chatted as a team about the Mets signing Jorge Polanco to a two-year contract. Here’s what we think about that, and what we think the Mets should do next.

Also, in case you missed it, or you just want to continue to commiserate with us, here are our raw reactions to losing Diaz and here are our not so pretty reactions to losing Alonso.

Matthew Tutrone

I guess the Polanco signing is good if you like a switch-hitting DH who bats in the bottom half of the order. He’s a quality bat for sure, but no one should expect his postseason heroics to be replicated long-term next year. The reports that they want him to platoon at 1B are confusing since he’s apparently not a good defender and has never played there before.

This feels like one of those unsexy but ultimately important moves to fill out the roster, and add another veteran presence to the clubhouse. It’s fine, but on the heels of last week’s heartbreak, I’m waiting for the Mets to make some kind of splash. All I want for Christmas is for David Stearns to round out the rotation and bullpen, and get another outfielder and/or 3B.

David Melendi

I like the move, but I don’t think Jorge Polanco moves the needle. He can be part of a larger plan that does. I am trying to see where David Stearns is going with all of this. I’m doing my best to squint and see the Blue Jays offense? Next up I want a starting pitcher and then another starting pitcher.

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki

Signing Polanco is a solid move. He was healthy and productive in 2025—his career-high 132 wRC+ would’ve ranked behind just Juan Soto and Pete Alonso on last year’s Mets team. If you wouldn’t believe it, Polanco is also younger than Jeff McNeil, and a two-year commitment is perfectly reasonable. Polanco isn’t particularly great defensively at any position, but I’m curious to see how he handles transitioning from being a middle infielder to a first baseman.

Ultimately, I expect him to be more a DH, and he can play nearly every day since he’s a switch hitter. David Stearns still has a lot of work to do, but I like this move.

Patrick Glynn

Solid signing, and I’m not too worried about first base. I feel he just needs to be passable over 1/3 of the games. He’ll probably DH the other 2/3. Now, the question is if the bat holds up. And that’s why they need multiple more signings on the offensive side of the ball, in addition to the bullpen pieces and a starter.

Kyle Tucker would nice but probably not realistic. Maybe Kazuma Okamoto could play first the rest of the time? Cody Bellinger would be great on a 3-4-year deal. Ranger Suarez at the same length would be even better. Let’s see what the rest of the winter has in store.

Matt Mancuso

David Stearns may not look like it, but he’s a gambling man. Methodically, he’s removing cards from his inherited house, replacing them with stronger, more well-rounded support beams. Fresh off a franchise-defining week, in which New York lost two of their icons, the club pivoted to replacing Pete Alonso in the aggregate, inking infielder Jorge Polanco to a two-year deal.

There’s no replacing Alonso’s gravity-defying home runs or ungodly exit velocity numbers or his goofy clubhouse charisma, but there is a finer understanding of created runs guiding the decision-making of the front office. Stearns was firm in the beginning of the offseason – the Mets aren’t just looking for hitters; they’re looking for all-around players. Polanco made significant process improvements in 2025 and there’s no reason to think it was an aberration. The upside’s there and the combination of increased power and decreased strikeout rate is a combo to bet on. Jorge Polanco just might be the Mets’ ace in the hole

Grade: B