The Seattle Mariners could have simply re-signed Mitch Garver at the outset of the offseason. They instead chose chaos in their quest for a backup catcher, only to arrive the exact same endpoint.
It's official as of Sunday afternoon: Garver is back in as Cal Raleigh's right-hand man, which functionally leaves Andrew Knizner out. The Mariners are expected to designate Knizner for assignment, which will almost certainly mean eating his $1 million salary.
Granted, it's not quite the same as saying goodbye to Mitch Haniger and then choking down $15.5 million. And if even that didn't ultimately keep the Mariners from pursuing midseason upgrades en route to their run to Game 7 of the ALCS, then $1 million in dead money shouldn't derail any plans the club has for 2026.