Breaking Down the Gregory Polanco Scenario

Yesterday, the Pittsburgh Pirates made headlines when it was announced that they had placed Gregory Polanco on outright waivers. However, with him being in the starting lineup last night, we breakdown what went down for Polanco.

The Pittsburgh Pirates dropped their series finale on Sunday to the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0. While they still secured a series win against the hated Red Birds, the big news of the day didn't happen until a few hours after the game was over. Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reported that the Pirates had placed Gregory Polanco on outright waivers. After struggling mightily this season, to the tune of a sub-.200 batting average, and ever since the slide where he blew out his shoulder in 2018 he hasn't been the same. However, he was always a great teammate and a great person who would light up a room and always had time to talk to the fans. But, the story of Polanco in Pittsburgh looked like it had reached its epilogue.

Then, the lineup came out for Monday's series opener with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and it had a familiar name in right field. Batting sixth and wearing #25 was Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco. I admit, after seeing all the messages of goodbye to the Pirates outfielder the night before, I was very surprised to see Polanco still here. Then, I read further and realized last night was not the Pirates cutting ties with the outfielder, but rather giving him a chance to get claimed by another team. However, if no team claims him, he is still property of the Pittsburgh Pirates and could end up finishing the year in the black and gold. We break down everything that played out and see how this story moves forward for the 29-year-old outfielder.

Outright Waivers Not Release Waivers

I'll admit, when I first saw Polanco was on outright waivers, I thought that meant the Pirates had released the 29-year-old. However, as the night went on, I still saw him on the Pirate's active roster, so I headed to google for the answer. According to MLB.com, when a player is placed on outright waivers it means a club is attempting to move a player off of its 40-man roster when that player no longer has any Minor League options. He must be made available to all 29 other teams and after two days, can either be sent to the Minor Leagues or can elect free agency. However, during that time that he is on waivers, he does remain on the active roster.

So, since Polanco is still on waivers, he can stay on the Pirates active roster until his deadline on Tuesday. Then, the Pirates have a couple of options, they could and him to the Minor Leagues, he could elect free agency, or the Pirates could keep him on the active roster. Usually, these type of waivers were made after the July 31st Trade Deadline, and a plan was normally in place for the player to be traded. However, with the non-waiver trade deadline not in effect this season, this seems to be more of the Pirates trying to give Polanco a shot at the postseason. If a contending team does make a claim on Polanco, he would be eligible for postseason play this season.

The question is, what contender would have interest in a power-hitting outfielder that is only hitting .199 this season? Defensively, Polanco has his moments, but overall his outfield stats are average at best. With that in mind, he would be best served as either an NL bench bat or a DH-type hitter in the AL. One team that really sticks out as a possible landing spot would be the Oakland Athletics. Mitch Moreland is currently their DH, but he is struggling hitting .225 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI. Being a DH would allow Polanco to focus solely on his offense, and would reunite him with former teammates Starling Marte and Josh Harrison. Another team that may make sense is the Seattle Mariners, who have had a series of DHs this season. The Pirates wouldn't get much in return, but it would get them off the hook for the remainder of his salary and open up a spot for a young guy in the Minor Leagues.

What Happens Next?

As we said before, there are three possible options as to what happens next for Gregory Polanco. First, if he is claimed by another team a trade can be worked out for Polanco's services, but the team would assume the remaining 2.5 million salary this season, and the possible three million dollar buyout for Polanco next season. The second option if he clears waivers is that the Pirates can send him to the Minor Leagues and can either accept or deny the outright assignment. The final option is the Pirates can decide not to send him down and end up keeping him on the active roster for the rest of the season. It is a confusing scenario, but one where ultimately Polanco is the winner no matter how you look at it.

The problem with the scenario is the 5.5 million dollars hanging over Polanco's head for a little bit of production. Polanco is hitting just .197 this season, and over the last four seasons, he is hitting just .221. However, when Polanco is on fire he is on absolute fire and can be a home run machine. He is currently second on the Pirates with 11 home runs this season. However, he has not hit a home run since July 24th and has struggled during the month of August hitting just .177 with three RBI. Ever since his shoulder surgery following the 2018 season, it has been all downhill for Polanco and he has never been the same player.

In the end, I think it is likely that Polanco will stay with the Pirates until the end of the 2021 season. As much as I would like to see Polanco get a shot on a contending team in the playoffs this season, the price to pay for him is most likely going to prove to be a little too steep. Polanco is a great human being and has brought so much to the city of Pittsburgh during his right seasons in the Black and Gold. He was a part of two postseason teams in 2014 and 2015 and above what he did on the field he was always a great person. He is always playing the game with a big smile on his face and reminds us what it means to have fun playing this game. I hope he catches on and gets the opportunity to play for a contender this season, but even so, if he stays in Pittsburgh he will be sent off in the city that started his pro career back in 2009.

The Pittsburgh Pirates (74-80) are back in action tonight for game two of their three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks (42-83) at 7:05 pm. JT Brubaker (4-13, 5.49) takes the mound in dire need of a strong start for the Pirates as he faces Madison Bumgarner (7-7, 4.06) for the Diamondbacks. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet or listen live on 93.7 The Fan.