Mitch Garver Signs with Mariners: What to Make of Move

The Mariners haven’t fortified their roster much in the 2023-24 offseason, aside from the addition of infielder Luis Urias from the Red Sox. Seattle did, however, make a pre-Christmas splash. Catcher Mitch Garver is reportedly headed to the Mariners on a two-year deal worth $24MM per multiple reports. Here’s a closer look at what Garver brings to the M’s.

A Look at Garver

Four seasons ago, new Mariners C/DH Mitch Garver was a hot commodity in Major League Baseball. The ex-Twin belted 31 home runs for the 2019 “Bomba Squad” Twins and was poised to be one of the game’s best offensive catchers.

A lot has happened since then. Garver’s spent time in each of the last four seasons on the IL and hasn’t played more than 103 games in one year. However, the 2023 campaign was Garver’s most productive since that incredible run in 2019.

Garver hit .270/.370/.500 with 19 home runs and 30 extra-base hits over 87 games before he tallied three more homers and 14 RBI for the reigning World Series champion Rangers.

The 32-year-old’s near-effortless power and pull-heavy approach is his best tool. He’s got the bat speed to catch up to heat and he’s shown that throughout his career. Just this past season, Garver belted 12 home runs and slugged .581 off fastballs.

Mitch Garver home run chart 2023 — Garver doesn’t miss much when it’s over the heart of the plate. Not to mention, he can also drive heat up in the zone. We should note that one home run is missing from this chart, as that one was hit off ex-Mariners infielder Mike Ford.

Garver does have above-average discipline overall. He chased less than 20% of the time last year, well above the league average. And, Garver’s posted double-digit walk rates in four of five years.

Defensively, Garver spent most of his time in the DH slot but did get more time behind the plate in August when Jonah Heim was on the IL. Unlike Heim, Garver is not a strong defensive catcher, nor did he rank very highly in terms of pop time.

Analysis

The Mariners have been busy this offseason. However, Seattle’s moves have been more geared toward shedding payroll this winter.

Seattle traded away Eugenio Suarez to the Diamondbacks in late November, and outfielder Jarred Kelenic was shipped out to Atlanta in December along with Marco Gonzales and Evan White. Meanwhile, Teoscar Hernandez hit the market a month after the 31-year-old recorded his fifth 20+ home run campaign.

The trades were “what [the Mariners] needed to do” per GM Jerry Dipoto, which could be somewhat attributed to uncertainty regarding their 2024 viewership.

One nagging issue for the Mariners this offseason has been their TV network, ROOT Sports Northwest. The Mariners will take full ownership of the network that broadcasts both their games and the NHL’s Seattle Kraken. However, the network was moved to a higher-tier package on Comcast Xfinity which could mean a loss of views come 2024.

Back to baseball, the Mariners finished just outside the top ten of the league last season in home runs with 210. But as mentioned earlier, Seattle’s lost significant talent up to this point. The addition of Garver should soften those losses, as the catcher should slot in as a DH for Seattle and get time behind the plate when Cal Raleigh is not there.