Mitch Garver Released: The Yankees Need to Sign Him

If the New York Yankees had just one weakness to address before the trade deadline, it had to be finding a right-handed-hitting catcher.

Instead, General Manager Brian Cashman turned to an infielder and an outfielder: Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos. This means that Austin Wells and Ali Sanchez will have to struggle like a devil in holy water until the end of this season.

Unless, of course, a catcher is released by a Major League team. And that's exactly what happened, as the Seattle Mariners parted ways with Mitch Garver just yesterday (Tuesday).

Sure, I know what you're thinking—and you're right—there's absolutely nothing sexy about Garver's game. In 50 games this season, Garver posted a dismal .175 batting average with four home runs, fifteen RBIs, and an OPS+ of 73, ultimately losing his starting spot to Jhonny Pereda.

But let's dig a little deeper.

First, Garver has the ability to draw walks. Since captain Aaron Judge went down with an injury, the Bombers have gone from having the best walk rate in Major League Baseball to the worst. Furthermore, Garver's average of 4.24 pitches seen per at-bat is well above the MLB average of 3.87.

That's not all. In fact, the 36-year-old ranks well above average in exit velocity and hard-hit rate, suggesting a certain degree of bad luck in his stats.

It doesn't help that, for the past three seasons, he's been playing in one of the worst environments for hitters—T-Mobile Park in Seattle—where he has a .105 batting average and a .432 OPS at home, but a .232 batting average and a .731 OPS on the road.

Garver also performs better against left-handed pitchers with an OPS of .659, a mark significantly better than Wells' in that regard.

One last thing: Garver could bring his veteran experience to the table, particularly given his stint as the starting catcher for the Texas Rangers in 2023, when he recorded several clutch hits.

It remains to be seen whether he'll still be available when the Yankees get a chance to make a move and whether Cashman will take the risk after sitting on his hands in recent weeks.

• Kevin Gausman shows his love for the city of Toronto.

• A smart move by the Blue Jays.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.