The Mariners could lose their former trade piece to the rival Astros in free agency

Few teams in the league need more infield help than the Seattle Mariners. There is no doubt about that.

Right now, Seattle is locked in with JP Crawford at shortstop, but all of the other infield spots are mostly up for grabs. Luke Raley is a powerful option at first base, while speedy prospect Ryan Bliss and utility man extraordinaire Dylan Moore are seeking playing time at second and third base, but the need for more is obvious.

The Mariners have a lot of players at their disposal when it comes to improving production on the field. Nolan Arenado, Alec Bohm, Pete Alonso, Christian Walker, Alex Bregman and Willy Adames all stand out from the crowd.

As it turns out, the Mariners are far from the only club in the AL West with needs in the infield. The defending champion Houston Astros are also looking for infield help as they may be without Bregman. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Astros are considering Jorge Polanco, a recent member of the Mariners, as a replacement for their woes at third base.

Former Mariners infielder linked to division rivals on free-agent market

In what was likely his only year with the Mariners, Polanco fell short of expectations, playing 118 games in Seattle. The switch-hitting veteran saw almost all of his key offensive stats deviate from his career norms, finishing his year with 16 home runs, 45 RBI and a terrible .213 batting average, coupled with an equally poor .651 OPS. It could be related to the knee injury he’s been battling all year, but the Mariners weren’t willing to find out so they released him.

Polanco, an 11-year veteran, managed just an OPS+ of 93, which is seven percent below league average. Its defense also faltered, which combined with its rough offensive performances led to a terrible season loss.

Overall, Polanco ranked in the second percentile of Outs Above Average per Statcast as well as the eighth percentile of arm strength. If the Astros are serious about upgrading at third base after Bregman, the best-case scenario for the Mariners would be for Polanco to sign there as their primary option at hot corner. Polanco’s terrible defensive power wouldn’t play well at third base, but if the Astros were willing to give it a try, they’d have more power.