Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco will reportedly be with the team for years to come.
According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, the two sides have “agreed on a five-year contract extension with two club options that locks in the prime years of the young outfielder.” Passan noted “Polanco five-year deal with #Pirates is for $35M. If both options are exercised, total value will be more than $60M."
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports confirmed the report Sunday.
According to Passan, Polanco rejected a seven-year, $25 million offer from Pittsburgh with three club options prior to his major league debut in June 2014. The new contract, which starts in the 2017 season, is "similar to the six-year, $31 million deal [Sterling] Marte signed coming off a strong 2013," Passan noted.
Passan compared this decision from the Pirates to those they made with contracts for Marte and Andrew McCutchen, writing, “they’re placing a strong financial bet that Polanco can produce similarly well.”
If the second half of Polanco's 2015 campaign is any indication, this is a worthwhile bet for the Pirates. He struggled before the All-Star Game but was a major reason his team reached the postseason in the daunting National League Central and finished with a 98-64 record.
Here is a look at his first- and second-half splits in 2015, via ESPN.com:
Derek Wetmore of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities shared insight into Pittsburgh’s mindset with this deal:
Passan did caution that it remains a question whether Polanco can translate his large frame (6’5” and 230 pounds) into additional power at the plate considering he only hit nine home runs in 153 games last year and seven homers in 89 games in 2014. While that power surge may eventually come, Polanco’s speed makes him a dangerous threat on the basepaths and in the outfield.
According to FanGraphs, Polanco was responsible for 12 defensive runs saved above average in the outfield last season. It is a testament to his overall skill set that he doesn’t need to rely solely on hitting long balls to make a significant impact for the Pirates.
Polanco is only 24 years old and is a productive piece alongside McCutchen in the outfield. The Pirates have their work cut out for them competing with the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central, but this extension ensured they'll have an important piece to assist them in that battle for the foreseeable future.
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