Former Minnesota Twins Infielder Undergoes Major Knee Surgery

Prior to the 2024 Major League Baseball season the Minnesota Twins opted to trade infielder Jorge Polanco. Part of that decision was because the Pohlad family afforded Derek Falvey no money to work with. Part of it was Polanco’s redundancy and waning health. The latter is now a problem once again.

Minnesota Twins don’t need to worry about Jorge Polanco’s latest surgery

When the Minnesota Twins traded Jorge Polanco they did so with an eye on shuffling pieces for the 26-man roster. Edouard Julien was tabbed as the starting second baseman, and moving Polanco brought in pitching. Anthony DeSclafani was a throw-in starter, but Justin Topa was supposed to bolster the bullpen. None of it worked out, but the Twins were right to question Polanco’s durability too. He just underwent yet another knee surgery.

“Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco underwent surgery to repair the patellar tendon in his left knee and expects to be ready for the beginning of spring training, sources told ESPN.”

Jeff Passan on Jorge Polanco (ESPN)

Polanco has been plagued by knee issues for some time over the course of his career. They popped up in 2022 and 2023 while he played for the Twins. Polanco posted a 115 OPS+ in those seasons, but played in just 184 of a possible 324 games (56.7%). At 30 years old, he isn’t getting any younger, and the Twins decided it was a good time to cash in.

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Beyond playing only 118 games for Seattle, Polanco posted just a 93 OPS+. That is the second-lowest mark over a full season across his entire career. The Mariners struggled to work through their veterans inability to produce and missed the playoffs.

Jorge Polanco tests free agency for first time

This offseason will be the first time Jorge Polanco has experienced free agency during his career. He was signed, along with Max Kepler, to a six-year extension in 2019. Acquired as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic, Polanco was in the Twins system since he was a 16-year-old in 2010.

The Twins played Jorge Polanco's walkup song for him, and he tipped his helmet to the crowd 🥹 pic.twitter.com/8PZCnOZtyU

— Melissa Berman (@Melissa_Berman) May 6, 2024

The tough year, and surgery, are certainly going to work against Polanco on the open market. The Seattle Mariners do hold a $12 million club option, but that will likely be declined in favor of a $750,000 buyout. Polanco could be a candidate to bounce back for a new team if he is indeed healthy, but the recent track record makes that questionable at best.

Related: The Minnesota Twins are Officially For Sale… Finally

Minnesota won’t be in the market for a second baseman with Julien, Brooks Lee, and even Royce Lewis expected to get time there. While the Pohlad’s explore a sale of the team, they certainly aren’t going to pour more cash into the payroll either.