Santa arrived in Seattle early to bring a surprise to Mariners fans.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, catcher Mitch Garver agreed to a two-year, $24 million contract with the Mariners.
Garver will join the Mariners pending a medical after winning the World Series with the Texas Rangers in October.
Garver is anticipated to come to Seattle to hit as the designated hitter and to back up starting catcher Cal Raleigh, both of which he did in Texas.
Garver hit.270/.370/.500 in 344 plate appearances last season, adding 19 home runs and 50 RBIs.
Garver pulled through in the postseason despite not playing in the American League wild card round against the Rays.
The 32-year-old made his first postseason appearance against the Orioles in Game 2 of the ALDS, where he smacked a grand slam and drove in five runs.
Garver hit.226/.317/.434 with three home runs in 60 plate appearances during the Rangers’ World Series run.
He also gave the Rangers the lead in Game 5 of the World Series, breaking a scoreless tie with a run-scoring single in the seventh inning.
The catcher did suffer problems this season, as he was forced to miss nearly two months due to a left knee sprain.
Injuries have aided his transition from catcher to a more dual role of catcher and DH, with the majority of his time spent as a designated hitter.
On paper, the move to the Mariners appears to be a good fit for Garver to continue playing in that capacity rather than being relied on more heavily as a starting backstop.
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