Everyone is well aware that the Atlanta Braves are in need of some help at shortstop this offseason. There is still a chance that Ha-Seong Kim picks up his player option for 2026 and that would be extremely helpful, but the odds that happens are pretty low with the allure of free agent dollars and Scott Boras whispering in his ear. As a result, the Braves need to be formulating backup plans at shortstop this offseason, but one potential free agent, Jorge Polanco, is one Atlanta should avoid.
On paper, Polanco seems like a guy that could be up the Braves' alley. Polanco has experience playing shortstop as well as a number of other positions, he shouldn't be prohibitively expensive, and he is coming off a strong season at the plate with the Mariners with an .821 OPS in 524 plate appearances. Assuming he declines his $6 million option for 2026 that did vest to a player option last year, Polanco could find himself a popular name this offseason.
However, despite the fact that Polanco has been showing out in the 2025 postseason, the Braves need to avoid turning to him to fill their void at shortstop.
Jorge Polanco may become a free agent, but Braves need to understand his shortstop days are long behind him
While it may appear to an easy fit to pursue Polanco this offseason assuming he is available, there are some potential pitfalls. Adding Polanco would technically add some real defensive versatility to the Braves' roster and he does have over 4,000 innings of experience at short, he hasn't played the position since 2022 and a closer look shows he was pretty bad defensively there with -32 Outs Above Average as a shortstop. His defensive marks at other positions are not much better, so perhaps the versatility Polanco would bring wouldn't be as positive as one thinks.
Another potential concern is that Polanco's production at the plate has been very in consistent over the last five years. He does have a pair of seasons during that span with an OPS north of .820, but there are also a pair of seasons where he was living much closer to a .650 OPS which is decidedly not great. Atlanta needs all-around production at shortstop and there doesn't seem to be any guarantee that Polanco would be a plus on either side of the ball.
Now, if Polanco was looking to sign a short, cheap deal this offseason, taking a gamble on him might make some sense. However, assuming he actually declines his option which is not a sure thing, Polanco is only going to do so if the 32 year-old thinks he can get a more lucrative multi-year deal. If that is what Polanco is wanting, the Braves would be best served to steer clear.