With Mitch Garver headed into the open market, the Mariners have a gap to fill on their roster and not using a clear backup for Cal Raleigh behind the plate. As famous by Ryan Divish of The Seattle Occasions, GM Justin Hollander indicated on the GM Conferences this previous week that, because the roster is at the moment constructed, that backup catching job would go to longtime high prospect Harry Ford.
“As of right now, Harry would undoubtedly be the backup,” Hollander stated, as relayed by Divish. “I feel that Harry’s in an incredible spot. He has checked all of the containers alongside the way in which that you’d need from a highschool catcher coming by way of the draft. He’s carried out at each degree.”
It’s not onerous to see why Hollander feels positively about Ford, who has been a consensus top-100 prospect for years and received a quick style of the majors late within the season with eight video games down the stretch this 12 months. Ford hit .283/.408/.460 in 97 video games on the Triple-A degree this 12 months, a powerful slash line that was good for a 125 wRC+ even within the Pacific Coast League’s inflated offensive atmosphere. He struck out simply 19.2% of the time whereas sporting an enormous 16.2% stroll price, and whereas he didn’t run as typically as he had within the decrease minors (simply seven steals on the 12 months) he did slug a career-high 16 residence runs. Total, it was a robust exhibiting for the 22-year-old and clearly units him as much as be prepared for extra publicity to main league pitching in 2026.
Whether or not that is available in Seattle or elsewhere has not solely been determined but, nevertheless. Divish notes that whereas the Mariners do appear comfy having Ford be part of the roster because the backup to Raleigh, they continue to be open to commerce affords that contain Ford. That’s a wise place to take, provided that Raleigh has cemented himself as baseball’s greatest catcher after posting maybe the very best season on the place in MLB historical past this previous 12 months. With the Mariners certainly intent on persevering with to play Raleigh (who has began a minimum of 114 video games behind the dish in every of the previous three seasons) as a lot as doable, the position of backup catcher isn’t fairly as essential for Seattle as it’s for different groups.
Whereas there aren’t any apparent options within the group to Ford in the intervening time, Divish factors out that quite a few viable backup choices determine to be out there on minor league or low-cost huge league offers. A lot of these choices might certainly supply comparable manufacturing to Garver within the spot. Given the shortage of high quality catching choices across the league, if one other group views Ford as a plug-and-play starter behind the dish they could worth him sufficient to make the return for his providers well worth the downgrade from Seattle’s perspective. A weak catching market in free company that’s highlighted by J.T. Realmuto and Victor Caratini ought to solely additional bolster Ford’s worth if the Mariners had been to resolve to buy him this offseason.
Turning away from Ford, Hollander additionally expressed confidence within the group of gamers they have already got within the group in terms of filling out the outfield subsequent season. Randy Arozarena is locked in because the membership’s on a regular basis left fielder (barring a transfer that sees him traded, a minimum of), whereas Julio Rodriguez has cemented himself as a franchise cornerstone in middle. Proper discipline was dealt with by a hodgepodge of various gamers all through 2025, and in 2026 Hollander factors to 3 names who might issue into the combo: Luke Raley, Dominic Canzone and Victor Robles.
Despite the fact that none of them had been impression gamers in 2025, it’s not onerous to see why the Mariners would need to give that trio a run on the place reasonably than pursuing an exterior addition. Raley is only one 12 months faraway from back-to-back seasons the place he slashed .246/.326/.476 whereas totaling 41 homers and 42 doubles throughout 255 video games. Whereas Raley has by no means been profitable in opposition to left-handed pitching, it’s under no circumstances tough to think about that he might rebound sufficient to be value affording common enjoying time to when a right-handed starter is on the mound for the opposing group. Robles, in the meantime, missed all however 32 video games this previous 12 months as a result of damage and was somebody the Mariners believed in sufficient that they afforded him an extension simply two months into his tenure with the group.
Canzone has the weakest total monitor report of the three, however really delivered by far the very best outcomes this 12 months. In 82 video games as a part-time participant for the Mariners, Canzone raked to the tune of a .300/.358/.481 slash line with 11 homer and 11 doubles whereas he struck out at an inexpensive 21.9% clip. A tricky postseason the place he went simply 3-for-28 with a stroll and ten strikeouts noticed him go away 2025 on a bitter be aware, however the 28-year-old clearly had a 2025 value constructing on subsequent season. Maybe including a second right-handed hitter to the combo alongside Robles might enable the Mariners to maximise matchups and create depth within the occasion of damage, however an on a regular basis starter within the outfield does appear pointless given the way more vital holes round within the infield.
One other place the place it appears the Mariners might look to go inner is with beginning pitching depth. Divish stories that right-hander Emerson Hancock is anticipated to arrange this winter and enter Spring Coaching as a beginning pitcher. Hancock has served as a swingman with beneath common outcomes (4.81 ERA, 5.23 FIP) throughout his three seasons and 162 2/3 innings of labor within the majors, however appeared fairly good briefly aid down the stretch for Seattle this 12 months. That made some surprise if he would stick within the bullpen full-time going ahead, nevertheless it appears as if the Mariners worth Hancock’s versatility given their lack of upper-level beginning pitching depth. Past their beginning 5 pitchers, solely Logan Evans has spent vital time beginning on the huge league degree apart from Hancock.
