Seattle, WA
Seattle Mariners Decline Option of Injury-Riddled Second Baseman
The Seattle Mariners have officially made the first “big” move of the offseason.
After a lot of debate over whether or not the team would opt to bring him back due to his injury concerns, the Seattle Mariners declined the $12 million option of second baseman and 2019 All-Star Jorge Polanco on Friday.
Roster moves:
🔹 The @Mariners have declined the 2025 club option on INF Jorge Polanco. Seattle’s 40-man roster is now at 36 players. — Mariners PR (@MarinersPR) November 1, 2024
🔹 INF Luis Urías cleared waivers and has elected free agency.
Polanco will receive a $750,000 buyout from the Mariners due to the team declining his option. The team’s 40-man roster now stands at 36 players.
Seattle traded for Polanco from the Minnesota Twins on Jan. 29, 2024, in efforts to figure out the team’s perpetual hole at second base. The Mariners have been trying to find an answer at the position since trading Robinson Cano to the New York Mets back in 2018.
Polanco had a down season by all metrics, even though it wasn’t entirely his fault.
The 11-year MLB veteran was dealing with a nagging knee injury for the second half of the season and had a stint on the 10-day injured list earlier in the year with a hamstring injury.
Polanco underwent surgery to repair a damaged patellar tendon after the season ended.
Polanco averaged just .213 this year with 16 home runs and 45 RBIs. His defense also took a noticeable step back.
On the late-night board. 🍿
⚾️ Jorge Polanco home run (+560) 💣 ✅pic.twitter.com/GZOqQbpimX
— Ahaan Rungta (@AhaanRungta) September 18, 2024
Polanco had -10 outs above average, which ranks in just the second percentile in the league according to Baseball Savant.
Polanco is a switch-hitter with 20-home run power. He was reported to be ready to return by spring training after his surgery.
Seattle will now look to find an answer at second base while Polanco will try and find a new home.
The Mariners have several avenues they can explore to fill out the gap at second base. And time will tell if one of those avenues includes going after a free agent or pulling off a trade.
MARINERS HAVE TOP-TEN ODDS TO LAND JUAN SOTO, PER SPORTS BETTING SITE: The Seattle Mariners landed on the list to land the biggest superstar in free agency per a popular sports betting site. CLICK HERE
EIGHT-TIME ALL-STAR LINKED TO MARINERS: The St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners have been tied together in trade rumors for months, could both sides finally pull the trigger? CLICK HERE
MARINERS MAKE MOVES TO TOP BRASS: The Seattle Mariners continued to make some moves in their top brass with the promotion of a long-time employee on Thursday. CLICK HERE
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on “X” @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the “Refuse to Lose” podcast by clicking HERE.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson answered pressing questions about the city’s most pressing issues, including the steps she’s taking to protect residents’ public safety and affordability, while also touching on activating CCTV cameras across the city.
Anyone waiting for the ferry, taking a stroll along the revamped Seattle waterfront or visiting the Seattle Aquarium just got a new option for finding a sweet treat: Ben & Jerry’s is coming to Pier 54.
A lease announcement last week shared that the new shop will be operated by local franchise owners Lance and Moria Blair, owners of the Green Lake and Gig Harbor Ben & Jerry’s locations. They pair is also opening another Seattle location in Northgate soon.
The permanent shop announcement comes after Ben & Jerry’s operated a pop-up at the waterfront location last simmer.
“As a Seattle native, the waterfront holds a special place in my heart,” Lance Blair said in a news release. “I could not be more excited to be a part of bringing Ben & Jerry’s to Pier 54 and continue building connections with the local community while serving visitors from around the world.”
The new location comes as local ice cream chains Molly Moon’s and Salt & Straw have also expanded into the downtown area in the past year.
Where is the new Ben & Jerry’s location?
The new Ben & Jerry’s is located at Pier 54 on the Seattle Waterfront: 1001 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98104.
The shop will be open Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where are the other Ben & Jerry’s locations in Seattle?
The ice cream chain operates four other locations in the Seattle area:
- Alki Beach: 2742 Alki Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116
- Bellevue: 166 Bellevue Way NE Bellevue, WA 98004
- Green Lake: 7900 E Green Lake Drive N Suite 104, Seattle, WA 98103
- Kirkland: 176 Lake Street South, Kirkland, WA 98033
How many locations does Ben & Jerry’s have in Washington?
Ben & Jerry’s has ten locations across Washington, including two in Issaquah and three in the Spokane area. See the full list of locations at benjerry.com/ice-cream-near-me.
Zachary Fletcher is a trending news reporter with USA TODAY Network’s Washington state team. Keep up with him on X (@zdfletch), BlueSky (@zfletcher.bsky.social) or reach him at zfletcher@usatodayco.com.
Seattle, WA
VIDEO: Mayor Wilson proposes renewing, expanding Seattle Transit Measure by doubling the sales-tax percentage that funds it.
Through the end of this year, 0.15% of the sales tax you pay funds the voter-approved Seattle Transit Measure. That would double to 0.30% if the City Council and Seattle voters approve the renewal/expansion that Mayor Katie Wilson officially introduced this afternoon. She said it’ll make living in Seattle more affordable by enabling more people to “live car-free or car-light.” She acknowledged that raising the sales tax isn’t ideal but noted that it’s one of the few revenue-raising tools available under state law. Besides paying for more transit – 280,000 additional Metro bus trips a year, 100,000 more than the current measure funds – it also would pay for 22,000 free ORCA transit passes, more than double what the city provides now, said acting SDOT director Angela Brady during the announcement event at City Hall. The passes are now available to Seattle Promise scholars, low-income Seattle Preschool Program families, and Seattle Housing Authority residents. The measure’s renewal/expansion would also make those passes available to Housing Choice Voucher participants.
The mayor’s announcement says the Transit Measure isn’t just about buses: It also would “support the design and delivery of Sound Transit’s West Seattle Link Extension, Ballard Link Extension, and Graham Street Station.” The 0.30% sales tax would generate an estimated $138 million average per year for the 10 years of this measure, which is proposed to go to voters in November. Council review starts this Thursday and will be led by District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka, who chairs the council committee that oversees transportation. We’ll add the specific text of the proposal when we get it; the slide deck for Thursday’s council meeting is now available, and we’ll add some highlights from that soon.
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