Seattle Mariners Disappointing Free Agent Acquisition Hits Cathartic Home Run vs. Astros
When Mitch Garver signed with the Seattle Mariners last offseason, he was supposed to be a fixture in the middle of the order who could help carry the M's back to the playoffs.
Instead, he's struggled mightily, being relegated to an expensive backup catcher for a team likely to miss the playoffs.
Even though it's been a disappointing year, Garver is trying to close it out on a strong note. He hit a big home run in Wednesday's divisional matchup with the Houston Astros. It gave the M's a 3-1 lead, serving as a big insurance run in a game the M's absolutely had to win.
Garv-sauce adds another đź‘Š #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/1YCdXmyhZX
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 25, 2024
It was Garver's 14th home run of the season and counted as his 50th RBI, two numbers that would be plenty respectable for a backup catcher, but are tough for a guy who signed a two-year, $24 million deal just nine months ago.
The home run was likely extra cathartic considering that Garver had popped up in a crucial situation on Tuesday night in a tough loss.
The 33-year-old Garver is also hitting just .171 with a .286 on-base percentage.
Lifetime, he's a .236 hitter who has 96 career home runs. He's played in eight major league seasons with the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers and Mariners. He hit a career-high 31 homers back in 2019 with the Twins and helped the Rangers win the World Series in 2023.
He's due $12 million next season and it will be interesting how the M's handle his role moving forward.
Seattle beat the Astros 8-1 on Wednesday to move to 82-77 on the season. With three games left in the year, they are 2.0 games back of the third and final wild card spot.
NEW PODCAST IS OUT: The latest episode of the "Refuse to Lose" podcast is out as Brady Farkas talks about the M's win in Houston on Monday night and why it was his favorite win of the year. He also discusses the playoff scenarios and has an in-depth talk with Todd Raleigh, the father of Cal Raleigh, about his son's season, career, upbringing and growth. CLICK HERE:
ATTENDANCE DROP: Fans are not filling T-Mobile Park as much as last season, why? CLICK HERE:
Follow Inside the Mariners on social media
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE:
