PITTSBURGH – The tools are there. They have been from the moment Gregory Polanco crashed into the big leagues six years ago as a raw mix of power and potential.
The looping swing that can occasionally send baseballs to the banks of the Allegheny River that flows beyond the right-field stands at PNC Park.
The long stride that makes it seem like he can get from first to second in a handful of steps. For six seasons the 28-year-old right fielder has tantalized, to the point where the Pirates signed him to a contract extension in 2016 that could be worth $35 million through 2023 if the club chooses to hold on to him.An “if” Polanco is well aware of.