Santa made an early stop in Seattle to deliver a gift to Mariners fans.
Catcher Mitch Garver came to terms on a two-year, $24 million contract with the Mariners, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Garver joins the Mariners — pending a physical — after winning a World Series title with the Rangers in October.
It’s expected that Garver will head to Seattle to hit as the designated hitter and to back up starting catcher Cal Raleigh, roles he served during his time in Texas.
In 344 plate appearances last season, Garver hit .270/.370/.500 while adding 19 home runs and 50 RBIs.
Despite not playing in the American League wild card round against the Rays, Garver came through in the postseason.
The 32-year-old’s first playoff appearance came against the Orioles in Game 2 of the ALDS, where he ended up hitting a grand slam and drove in five runs.
In 60 plate appearances during the Rangers’ run to a World Series title, Garver hit .226/.317/.434 with three homers.
He also put the Rangers up in Game 5 World Series clincher, breaking a scoreless tie with a run-scoring single in the seventh inning.
The catcher did deal with injuries over the past season, and he was forced to miss nearly two full months early on due to a left knee sprain.
Injuries have played a role in his migration from catcher into a more dual role of catcher and DH, with the bulk of the time shifting towards being a designated hitter.
The move to the Mariners, on paper, would seem to be a good fit for Garver to continue to play in that role instead of being relied on more heavily as a starting backstop.
Garver spent the first five years of his MLB career with the Minnesota Twins before he dealt to the Rangers in 2022.
Overall in his career, he has 82 homers and has complied an .825 OPS.
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