The 2025 Seattle Mariners were a powerhouse that just ran out of magic when it mattered most. They’d love to keep the band together, but baseball rarely plays to sentimental tunes. Some players will chase greener pastures, while others get quietly shown the door. And for Seattle, that door just happened to swing toward their veteran catcher.

One of those players is Mitch Garver. According to reports from MLB Trade Rumors, “Catcher Mitch Garver is headed into free agency after his mutual option with the Mariners was declined… It’s not clear who, between Garver and the Mariners, declined their end of the option.”

Mitch Garver’s free agency is now official after his mutual option with the Mariners was declined. The veteran catcher will receive a $1 million buyout instead of the $12 million salary for 2026. The decision was confirmed through the MLB Players Association’s announcement earlier this week. It is unclear which side declined the option, though, but both must agree for it to remain valid.

Garver’s 2025 season never reached the level Seattle had hoped for when they signed him.

He hit .209 with nine home runs, 30 RBIs, and a .639 OPS across 102 regular-season games. Most of his appearances came as Cal Raleigh’s backup, offering depth more than production behind the plate. At 34, his power numbers fell sharply compared to his 2019 Silver Slugger and 2023 postseason performance.

But Seattle could still revisit Garver’s return later this winter if other options fall through.

The front office has interest in a veteran bridge before top prospect Harry Ford makes his debut. However, with a strong catching market led by J.T. Realmuto and Salvador Perez, the odds are slim. For now, Garver enters free agency once again, waiting to see where his next opportunity arrives.

Baseball has a funny way of reminding everyone that sentiment rarely pays the bills. The Mariners might still make that late call, but Garver shouldn’t wait by the phone.

Mariners linked to Japanese slugger as a possible replacement for star player

Baseball doesn’t wait for heartbreak to cool before it starts flirting again. The ink isn’t even dry on Eugenio Suárez’s possible exit, and the Seattle Mariners already seem to have their eyes on someone new.

Enter Munetaka Murakami, Japan’s home run machine and the latest name turning heads in MLB circles. Seattle’s search for power might just take them all the way to Tokyo.

For the Mariners to bring in Munetaka Murakami, they’ll need to win a tough international race, though.

ESPN’s David Schoenfield labeled Seattle as the “best fit,” with the Dodgers standing as their biggest competition.

The 25-year-old hit 56 home runs in 2022, the most ever by a Japanese player. His left-handed power fits a Seattle team that values home run production despite high strikeouts, seen with Eugenio Suárez last year.

Munetaka Murakami’s arrival could give Seattle the consistent power it lost when Suárez hit 49 total home runs last season. He hit 24 homers in just 69 games in 2025 despite missing time with an oblique injury. His defense is below average, but the Mariners can manage that with flexible infield depth. If Seattle pulls this off, fans could see the lineup regain its thunder and its belief again.

Seattle has never been shy about chasing power, and Murakami fits that pursuit perfectly. The challenge will be convincing him that the rain comes with home runs in bunches. If the Mariners land him, Suárez’s exit might feel less like heartbreak and more like evolution.