The Seattle Mariners have made a last-minute addition to their lineup ahead of the holiday season by agreeing to a two-year, $24 million contract with experienced free agent Mitch Garver. Although the team has yet to officially confirm the deal, it is pending a physical examination, which is scheduled to occur after the holidays. As a result, the official announcement will be postponed until the new year.

Garver, who will celebrate his 33rd birthday on January 15, marks the Mariners’ first significant acquisition this offseason. The organization has been undergoing notable changes, with a focus from the front office on transitioning toward a more contact-oriented offense. To facilitate this shift, they needed to free up financial resources.

Primarily a right-handed batter, Garver began his career as a catcher but has faced injury challenges. Moving forward, the Mariners plan to utilize him primarily as their designated hitter, with the option to serve as a backup catcher for Cal Raleigh. However, his performance behind the plate in 2023 was subpar, ranking in the 18th percentile for pop time and displaying below-average blocking skills.

To strengthen their catching depth for the 2024 season, the Mariners have also acquired Seby Zavala from the Arizona Diamondbacks and made a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for minor leaguer Blake Hunt. These moves aim to provide increased stability in the catching position. Additionally, veteran Tom Murphy signed a two-year, $8.25 million deal with the San Francisco Giants, effectively ending his chances of returning to the Mariners.

In 2023, while playing for the World Series champion Texas Rangers, Garver assumed a similar role as a backup catcher to All-Star Jonah Heim during the regular season. In the playoffs, he exclusively served as a designated hitter. Garver contributed to the team’s success with a.226/.317/.434 slash line and three home runs in 60 plate appearances throughout the postseason. Notably, he delivered a crucial go-ahead single in Game 5 of the World Series.

During the regular season, Garver showcased a.270/.370/.500 slash line with 19 home runs across 87 games, splitting his time between catcher and designated hitter. However, he did face setbacks due to a left knee sprain that sidelined him for nearly two months. Ultimately, he underwent season-ending right forearm flexor tendon surgery in July 2022. Throughout his seven-year career, including five seasons with the Minnesota Twins, Garver’s highest number of games played in a single season is 102, which does pose some injury risk.

Garver had a standout season with the Twins in 2019, hitting 31 home runs and achieving a remarkable.995 OPS, which earned him the AL Silver Slugger Award for catchers. While his career strikeout rate of 25.6% is relatively high, especially for a Mariners team actively seeking to reduce strikeouts, certain underlying metrics indicate that he is one of the game’s more disciplined hitters. In 2023, his chase rate of 17.4% ranked in the 98th percentile, and his walk rate of 12.8% was in the 90th percentile, according to Statcast.

The Mariners’ deal with Garver represents a significant pay raise compared to his $3.9 million earnings last year and the $10,232,500 he has accumulated throughout his career. This signing marks the team’s first multiyear deal with a free-agent hitter under the leadership of president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, who joined the organization in the 2015-16 offseason. The cost and duration of Garver’s contract should provide the Mariners with financial flexibility to make one or two additional offensive additions. While the acquisition of Garver likely removes them from the market for sluggers like Jorge Soler and J.D. Martinez, there are still significant needs in the corner outfield, and the team has room within a payroll of approximately $130 million to address those needs.