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Mets Activate Jorge Polanco, Add DH, Shuffle Roster

7/8/2026

Summary

Jorge Polanco Reinstated

Jorge Polanco was reinstated from the 60-day injured list on July 7, 2026.
He will serve as designated hitter while managing Achilles bursitis and entering first year of a two-year, $40 million contract.
Polanco resumed Triple-A rehab on June 27, hitting two homers and three RBIs in three games.
The Mets made roster moves, optioning Ronny Mauricio to Triple-A Syracuse, designating Alex Carrillo and Guillermo Zuñiga, moving Luis Robert Jr. to Double-A Binghamton, and adding Matt Seelinger via cash trade.

Summary

Stearns Signs Polanco

Mets general manager David Stearns signed Polanco to a two-year, $40 million contract through 2027, drawing criticism for his 2025 offseason moves.
The deal makes a trade unlikely and keeps Polanco in Queens as designated hitter, failing to replace Pete Alonso at first base.
At 38-53 and 11 games from the NL wild-card, the Mets are viewed as sellers.

History

Historical Context

After the reserve clause fell in the 1970s, MLB free agency let players negotiate salaries, leading to milestones such as Nolan Ryan’s first $1 million annual deal in 1979. When the Los Angeles Dodgers signed pitcher Kevin Brown in December 1998 to a seven-year, $105 million contract, they set a new league-wide benchmark that reshaped payroll expectations for teams.

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Jorge Polanco Reinstated

Jorge Polanco was reinstated from the 60-day injured list on July 7, 2026.
He will serve as designated hitter while managing Achilles bursitis and entering first year of a two-year, $40 million contract.
Polanco resumed Triple-A rehab on June 27, hitting two homers and three RBIs in three games.
The Mets made roster moves, optioning Ronny Mauricio to Triple-A Syracuse, designating Alex Carrillo and Guillermo Zuñiga, moving Luis Robert Jr. to Double-A Binghamton, and adding Matt Seelinger via cash trade.

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