It has been a brutal 2026 season for former Minnesota Twins infielder while his bank account certainly has not suffered—he signed a two-year, $40 million contract with the New York Mets during the offseason—his performance and health have made this a year to forget.
His season took an early hit when the Mets placed him on the injured list on April 18 because of a wrist injury. He eventually returned on July 7, but his comeback was short-lived. New York placed him back on the IL Wednesday with left ankle bursitis, and interim manager Andy Green confirmed that he will undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the season.
The injury provides a disappointing ending to an already miserable campaign. Polanco appeared in just 37 games for New York, posting a .148/.201/.230 slash line with seven extra-base hits and six RBIs across 145 plate appearances.
The veteran spent 35 of those 37 contests as the Mets’ designated hitter, with his other two appearances coming at first base.
Polanco is not the only member of the Mets organization having a disappointing year. New York made several major changes during the offseason after failing to reach the postseason in 2025, but those moves have yet to produce the desired results.
Among the club’s biggest offseason decisions were allowing Pete Alonso and Edwin DÃaz to depart in free agency, trading Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien, sending Jeff McNeil to the Athletics, and dealing Luisangel Acuña to the Chicago White Sox for Luis Robert Jr.
The Mets also added Freddy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers and made several significant free-agent investments, signing Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million contract, Devin Williams to a three-year, $51 million deal and Luke Weaver to a two-year, $22 million contract.
Despite spending aggressively, New York currently owns one of baseball’s highest payrolls at approximately $361.5 million, according to Spotrac. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers, at roughly $430.4 million, have a larger payroll.
Yet the Mets have little to show for that spending. New York sits last in the NL East at 58-70, 17 games behind the division-leading Atlanta Braves. The Mets are also 10 games behind the San Diego Padres for the National League’s final Wild Card position.
That leaves the organization facing another potentially eventful offseason. It would be surprising if the Mets simply moved on from Polanco, who represented the Twins at the 2019 All-Star Game, because his contract and recent performance would make him difficult to trade for meaningful value.
Still, Polanco’s situation is only one piece of a much larger puzzle. Given the Mets’ disappointing season despite their massive payroll, another offseason filled with major roster changes could be on the horizon.
