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The Mariners are including Mitch Garver to their Opening Day roster as their backup catcher, in accordance with a report from Ryan Divish of the Seattle Occasions. That seemingly leaves catcher Andrew Knizner with no spot on the membership’s roster headed into the season. He’s on a $1MM contract for 2026 and can’t be optioned to the minors, so he’ll should be traded or designated for task someday earlier than Opening Day if he isn’t making the workforce.
Garver, 35, is a veteran of 9 MLB seasons and has spent the previous two years in Seattle. The previous Silver Slugger has spent a lot of his profession on the injured listing, however in his youthful years typically confirmed flashes of elite energy when wholesome coupled with a healthy dose of strikeouts. From 2019 to 2023, Garver appeared in 325 video games (averaging simply 65 per season) however in that point slashed an exceptional .250/.346/.508 with 75 residence runs, a 26.6% strikeout fee, and an 11.8% stroll fee. Maybe probably the most spectacular of these 5 seasons was his 2023 marketing campaign with the Rangers, the place he made it into 87 video games and clubbed 19 homers with a strikeout fee of simply 23.8% in opposition to a formidable 12.8% stroll fee.
It was a platform season sturdy sufficient that the Mariners determined to take an opportunity on Garver, signing him to the membership’s first multi-year deal for a place participant in years. Sadly, that contract didn’t go nicely. Garver’s offense has taken a giant step again over the previous two years because the strikeouts have returned whereas his energy has dipped considerably. In 201 video games with Seattle, he’s hit simply .187/.290/.341 with a 29.6% strikeout fee and a wRC+ of 88, indicating he’s been 12 factors worse than league common on the plate. He’s mixed that with lackluster defensive numbers behind the plate, and the Mariners have been broadly anticipated to maneuver on from the veteran this offseason.
Regardless of that, Garver re-signed with the membership on a minor league deal on the outset of Spring Coaching. Contact has remained a difficulty for him this spring, as he’s gone simply .182/.308/227 with 11 strikeouts in 26 journeys to the plate throughout camp. That lackluster efficiency each in Seattle and through camp this spring makes the choice to go along with Garver because the backup a considerably stunning one. That’s significantly true on condition that Knizner is just not solely on a minor league contract but additionally has the 5 years of service time required to reject an outright task and retain his full wage even when he handed by waivers unclaimed following a DFA.
In fact, it ought to be remembered that Knizner is hardly an impression participant in his personal proper. The veteran has appeared in elements of seven MLB seasons however is a profession .211/.281/.316 hitter whose 2025 season was even much less productive on the dish than Garver’s. Knizner is youthful at 31 years previous and has been considered in some circles as a superior defender to Garver, however his metrics have truly been much like Garver’s work in 2025 all through a lot of his profession. On condition that Raleigh figures to play the overwhelming majority of video games behind the plate, maybe the Mariners are prioritizing bringing again a veteran chief from a membership that fell only one sport wanting the World Collection final yr who Raleigh himself helped to deliver again into the group over the offseason.
Whatever the reasoning, Garver now figures to function Raleigh’s backup, whereas Knizner is prone to be both traded or uncovered to waivers earlier than the season begins. If he goes unclaimed, he’ll have the chance to return to free company and signal with any of the league’s 30 golf equipment. Given the dearth of catching depth across the league lately, Knizner may conceivably discover a large league job someplace, although it’s additionally potential he’ll must accept a minor league pact at this level and start the season at Triple-A.
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