Mariners Open to Reuniting with Mitch Garver
But here’s where the conversation gets interesting: the Mariners are considering a reunion with free-agent catcher Mitch Garver, following a recent trade that reshaped their catching depth. Earlier today, Seattle sent catcher Harry Ford to the Nationals as part of a deal that brought left-handed reliever Jose Ferrer to town. With Ford gone, Garver re-enters the picture as a potential addition to shore up the roster behind Cal Raleigh.
Garver, who turns 35 in January, just completed the final year of a two-year, $24 million contract signed in December 2023. The Mariners originally envisioned him as a primary designated hitter and a backup catcher who could spell Raleigh, but his offensive production didn’t meet those expectations in 2024-25. He posted an 88 wRC+ across 720 plate appearances over two seasons, and Seattle declined the $12 million mutual option for 2026, opting instead for a $1 million buyout and free agency.
In 2025, Garver hit .209/.297/.343 with an 86 wRC+ in 290 plate appearances over 87 games. He shaved his strikeout rate slightly—from 30.9% to 27.6%—and his walk rate slipped from 12.3% to 10.3%. His offense in 2025 largely mirrored his 2024 numbers (89 wRC+ in 430 PA), which is the level often expected from a solid backup catcher, though it didn’t align with Garver’s bat-first profile from his 2023 Rangers season (142 wRC+ with 19 homers).
Defensively, Garver has struggled more than Raleigh. He started 42 games behind the plate in 2025, catching 376 2/3 innings. Raleigh posted strong framing metrics, while Garver graded poorly in framing and blocking, and his pop time sat in the 4th percentile by the marshalling of stats. Historically, Garver has not been a standout defender, with his last positive DRS season coming in 2020 during the COVID-shortened year. Given his age and defensive trajectory, the expectation would be for Garver’s defense to hover around his recent baseline rather than improve dramatically.
Still, there are hopeful signs offensively. Garver posted a hard-hit rate of 46.9% in 2025, well above the league average of 40.9%, and raised his average exit velocity to 91.5 mph from 89.9 mph in 2024. The challenge will be maximizing performance against four-seam fastballs, where Garver’s numbers dipped to a 77 wRC+ in 2025 after a 163 wRC+ against four-seamers in 2024. Some natural decline is anticipated with age, but there’s also a reasonable expectation for positive regression given Garver’s track record when healthy.
A more affordable reunion could make sense for Seattle. With Ford traded and the organization’s catching depth thinning to prospects Luke Stevenson and Josh Caron at Single-A, there isn’t an obvious, immediate backup to Raleigh on the 40-man. The missed option from Garver’s previous deal, plus the potential fit as a one-year pickup in the $6–8 million range, could be a prudent gamble for Seattle. RosterResource projects a 2026 Mariners payroll around $151 million, leaving roughly $15 million of flexibility to align with prior spending.
Would Garver be a bargain rebound for Seattle, or does this path risk perpetuating a regression rather than a fix? How do you weigh offensive upside against defensive limitations in a role as backup catcher and occasional DH? Share your take in the comments.
