ALTOONA, Pa. -- It didn't take long for someone to sign former Pirate outfielder Gregory Polanco as he signed a minor league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday night.
Gregory Polanco is a Blue Jay https://t.co/Cx61FIHUdt
— Alex Stumpf (@AlexJStumpf) September 1, 2021
Signed by the Pirates in 2009, Polanco made his debut with the Pirates in 2014 and was the longest tenured on the team until his release on Saturday. The release came after Polanco slashed .203/.270/.360 in 199 games dating back to the beginning of the 2019 season. Prior to his release, Polanco was hitting .208 though in his last seven games with the Pirates he had hit .364.
It's important to note that since this is a minor league deal the Triple A season lasts into October this season. This comes as a result of the post season-like tournament Major League Baseball is implementing at that level which will give Polanco ample opportunity to work himself back to the Majors.
It never seemed like Polanco was fully able to recover from a dislocated shoulder and subsequent surgery late during the 2018 season. He was slashing .254/.340/.399 with 23 home runs and 81 RBIs at the time of his injury. Since then, he's not been able to replicate the power he showed before the injury hitting six home runs in an abbreviated 2019 campaign, seven home runs in 2020 and 11 so far in 2021.
Should Polanco make it to Toronto, he will join former teammates Jarrod Dyson, who was recently signed off waivers from Kansas City and Corey Dickerson, who the Blue Jays acquired at the end of June. Polanco was teammates with Dickerson in 2018 and 2019 before Dickerson was traded to Philadelphia. He was teammates with Dyson for a brief stint during the 2020 campaign.
A consummate pro and beloved by his teammates new and old, Polanco will be a great addition to the Toronto organization from a teammate and human standpoint. Whether the Blue Jays are able to unlock his potential remains to be seen.
