Three days after the Mariners released Mitch Garver, the New York Yankees handed the veteran catcher a minor league contract. And four days after that signing, the M’s will walk into Yankee Stadium for a three-game series starting on August 11.

The move itself is modest. But the timing could be louder than expected. Garver will initially report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, so he’s not currently scheduled to face his former teammates. But that could change quickly. The Yankees can promote him whenever they decide their major league roster needs another catcher or a right-handed bat, while Garver’s contract includes an opt-out later in August. The Yankees have wanted to upgrade their catcher room. Don’t be surprised if Garver gets a chance to take some swings in the Bronx. 

That gives New York a few weeks to evaluate him. It also gives us an obvious storyline to watch when the Mariners reach the Bronx.

The Mariners Were Right to Release Mitch Garver

To be honest, the Mariners made the correct decision here. Garver slashed .175/.302/.294 with four home runs and 15 RBIs in 50 games this season. That’s a .596 OPS from a player whose primary value has always come from his bat. Leadership, experience and pitcher relationships are important too, especially for a veteran backup catcher. But that can’t protect a roster spot for as long as it did. 

The Mariners already stretched this experiment well beyond its expiration date. They initially signed Garver to a two-year, $24 million contract before the 2024 season. He arrived fresh off helping the Texas Rangers win the World Series and was supposed to give the Mariners a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat at DH. But that bat never showed up. 

Garver struggled immediately, eventually sliding from regular DH to backup catcher. Seattle declined his mutual option after the 2025 season, only to bring him back on a minor league contract in February. Once he won the backup job and appeared in the majors, his $2.25 million salary became guaranteed.

The Mariners knew they would be eating money by releasing him. But they did exactly what they needed to do. Jhonny Pereda had already shown enough during his previous opportunities to force the conversation. Now he gets the backup job behind Cal Raleigh, and the Mariners get a chance to find out whether a different voice can help them during the stretch run.

Garver was respected inside Seattle’s clubhouse. Raleigh even encouraged him to contact the Mariners about returning during the offseason. We can appreciate that relationship while acknowledging the production was gone, and Seattle could not wait around any longer.

If New York promotes Garver before the series, the entire thing will become just a little awkward. Every Garver at-bat would carry a little extra charge. If Garver delivered a big hit against Seattle days after being released, Mariners fans would lose their minds, and understandably so. Just keep in mind, Garver would be taking half of his swings in one of the most hitter friendly parks in the majors. 

A Garver rebound would make for a weird revenge story. It wouldn’t retroactively make a .175 batting average make sense. But maybe it would shed some light on how difficult it truly is for a righty to find success in Seattle. 

For now, Garver is a Yankee in organizational terms only. He still needs to hit his way back to the majors. But with Seattle preparing to visit the Bronx, we will be watching that transaction wire a little more closely than usual.

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