Padres’ search for DH/second base help lines up perfectly with Jorge Polanco’s plans

The San Diego Padres' budget constraints have led to Dylan Cease and Michael King walking out the door, and with the Seidler family reportedly interested in a sale, those money problems may loom over everything A.J. Preller does this offseason.

That being said, this is still the Preller-era Padres we're talking about. They'll find some way to aggressively hunt star talent, be it via free agency or the trade market.

With obvious needs everywhere on the roster besides the bullpen, most players shouldn't be off limits for San Diego over the winter. That might not necessarily mean an ability to reel in Kyle Tucker or Freddy Peralta, but the Friars aren't going to replace Cease, King, Luis Arraez, Ryan O'Hearn, and others with scrapheap pickups.

With huge needs for power hitters at first base and designated hitter, one viable target is Jorge Polanco, who may be a lock to leave the Seattle Mariners now that Josh Naylor has re-signed in the Pacific Northwest.

According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Marinres and Polanco may be content to go their separate ways. Seattle is ready to roll with top prospect Cole Young at second base, while Polanco "wants to play out the market" and is willing to play for another contender.

Jorge Polanco fits in perfectly with Padres' plans for right side of infield

There's really no set plan for the Padres at first, second or DH right now. As it stands, Gavin Sheets is the likely starter at the cold corner (at least against righties) while Jake Cronenworth will man second base, with some rotating cast of Tirso Ornelas, Will Wagner, and others taking turns as Craig Stammen's designated hitter.

That's obviously not going to fly for a team in need of a huge infusion of talent in the middle of the lineup. Polanco, 32, may not be the most consistent offensive threat in the league, but he's coming off a career year and possesses a powerful switch-hitting bat.

In 2025 with the Mariners, he hit .265/.326/.495 (132 wRC+) with 26 home runs and a .229 ISO. Notably, he cut his strikeout rate in half from the year prior, landing at just 15.6% across his 524 plate appearances this past season.

He's had huge offensive seasons in the past (he had a 124 wRC+ in 2021), but his 2025 performance was the cream of the crop. It's dangerous to pay market price for a guy in his thirties when that's the case, but the Padres are desperate.

Polanco would also bring some versatility to San Diego. He's never been a particualrly good defender, but he can play second and third base capably, or he could settle in as the full-time DH. Perhaps he and Cronenworth could form a versatile right side of the infield, or his presence could open up the possibility of some payroll relief in the form of a Cronenworth trade.

Either way, Polanco is a seamless fit with this Padres roster, and if he's truly willing to play things slowly in free agency this year, San Diego could keep him atop its wishlist while pursuing other top targets.