Mariners reportedly set to sign Mitch Garver to two-year deal

The Mariners have made their first positive move of the offseason, agreeing terms with Mitch Garver pending him passing his physical.

It’s been a tough offseason for Mariners fans to contend with so far. This has been due to a number of factors, specifically speculation about the financial position of the team, combined with getting rid of players such as Jarred Kelenic, Eugenio Suárez and Teoscar Hernández.

However, it seems the Mariners faithful finally have something worth cheering about. As first reported by ESPN‘s Jeff Passan, the team has apparently agreed terms with free agent Mitch Garver.

The deal is for two years and $24 million, pending a physical. While there is still plenty of work for the Mariners to do to improve the team — mostly offensively — this is an excellent start.

Garver will likely serve as the main backup to Cal Raleigh behind the plate. However, he should still see plenty of action as DH, certainly representing a significant upgrade at the position compared to heading into last season.

An impressive bat

In this respect, 55 of the 32-year-old’s starts in 2023 came as the DH, along with another 27 as catcher. He was excellent with the bat, as evidenced by 19 homers, 50 RBI, a .270/.370/.870 slash line, .870 OPS and OPS+ of 134.

Of particular note, the home runs, RBI and batting average were all the second-best of Garver’s seven years in the Majors, while his OBP was a new career high. To top it all off he won his first World Series ring, with the Rangers.

However, this doesn’t mean the signing comes with no risks, with health issues plaguing the 2019 Silver Slugger throughout his career. This was no different last season.

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One of the main reasons Garver was limited to 87 games in 2023, was due to a knee injury which caused him to effectively miss two months of the season. Previous ailments include problems with his back, groin, knee and forearm.

If nothing else, spending more time as the DH should theoretically help. However, it doesn’t change the reality that only once has the 2013 ninth round draft pick exceeded 100 games in a season, and that was during his second year back in 2018.

Experience should help Mariners

One thing which could prove invaluable to the Mariners, is Garver’s postseason experience. Of course the team actually needs to qualify first, but if and when they do, having a player who knows what it takes to go all the way will surely help.

Now, we wait to see what other moves the Mariners make between now and the beginning of spring training in February. There are still certain positions which don’t exactly inspire confidence, when you look at their current projected depth chart for the 2024 season.

What impact has the reported signing of Garver had on your opinion of the Mariners for next season? Are you confident the front office will have the right players in position to make a genuine playoff challenge, or do you need convincing after losing the likes of Suarez and Kelenic? Let us know in the comments section below.