Mariners Notes: Garver, Arroyo, Miller
After the Mariners declined their finish of Mitch Garver‘s $12MM mutual possibility final fell, Garver took his $1MM buyout after which sat by means of a “super slow offseason. Never really got any good offers or formal offers,” because the catcher instructed the Seattle Times’ Adam Jude. Garver’s lengthy wait in free company ended two days in the past when he re-signed with the M’s on a minor league deal, and Garver credited his fellow backstop Cal Raleigh with serving to get the ball rolling on the assembly.
Earlier this week, Garver mentioned “Cal reached out and said, ‘Maybe you should try calling the Mariners.’ So we called Justin [Hollander, the Mariners’ GM]. Within 24 hours, we were able to work something out.”Reports from December indicated that Seattle had some curiosity in bringing Garver again, and though Andrew Knizner was signed to a one-year, $1MM assured deal, Garver’s return provides the M’s some extra depth behind the plate.
Raleigh made 38 begins at DH final season, because the Mariners wished to present the slugger a break from catching duties whereas nonetheless maintaining his energy bat within the lineup. Since a recent and productive Raleigh is vital to Seattle’s hopes, the group figures to make use of this identical tactic once more in 2026, opening the door for loads of time for a backup catcher. It maybe is not out of the query that each Garver and Knizner are on the 26-man roster, though the M’s are in all probability extra prone to stick to Raleigh and one backup because the catching corps.
Elsewhere on the Mariners’ camp, Adam Divish of the Seattle Times writes that infield prospect Michael Arroyo will get some seems to be as a 3rd baseman and left fielder as soon as Arroyo returns from nationwide group responsibility with Colombia throughout the World Baseball Classic. Arroyo has by no means performed within the outfield as a professional, and performed in a handful of video games on the sizzling nook when enjoying with the Mariners’ Dominican Summer League group in 2022. Otherwise, Arroyo has performed solely as a center infielder, and was solely a second baseman and DH within the minors in 2025.
Heading into 2026, Baseball Prospectus ranks Arroyo because the Thirty sixth-best minor leaguer within the sport, and The Athletic’s Keith Law (forty ninth), ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel (62nd), and MLB Pipeline (67th) all have Arroyo inside their preseason top-100 rankings. The consensus on Arroyo’s protection is that he might find yourself as an honest massive league second baseman, although between offseason acquisition Brendan Donovan and a bunch of different infield prospects, it is smart that the Mariners would need to increase Arroyo’s versatility.
2027 might be the likeliest date for Arroyo’s Major League debut. He simply turned 21 final November, and had a modest .255/.376/.341 slash line over 250 PA with Double-A Arkansas in 2025. Arroyo’s method on the plate is well-regarded by scouts, however he’ll want some larger numbers within the minors (and doubtless an damage or two forward of him on the depth chart) to get himself on the radar for an enormous league call-up this yr.
In an extended piece from Ryan Divish, Bryce Miller reported good well being and a traditional offseason routine within the wake of an injury-plagued 2025 season. Miller was restricted to 18 begins and 90 1/3 innings in 2025 attributable to a pair of stints on the injured checklist, as Miller battled bone spurs in his throwing elbow. Rather than a surgical possibility, Miller obtained a cortisone shot and a PRP shot to assist his restoration, and he completed his robust yr on the excessive notice of a 2.51 ERA over three begins and 14 1/3 innings throughout Seattle’s postseason run.
Following the season, Miller mentioned he received a Synvisc injection, which is “like a gel, like a joint lubricant.” This allowed him to proceed as regular this winter, and he could possibly keep away from surgical procedure altogether.
“[Dr. Keith] Meister was like, ‘Don’t touch it [Miller’s elbow]. If it feels good, don’t touch it’“Miller said.”‘Now that we know kind of how to help it, if you feel anything in the offseason or anything in Spring Training or anything during the year, just get another injection, to get back rolling again now that we know how to fix it.’ He advised against doing anything until I feel something and I haven’t felt anything.”
Miller is already as much as 98mph in his dwell batting-practice periods, and he has added 15 kilos of muscle over the offseason. Now coming into his fourth MLB season, Miller regarded like a breakout star when he had a 2.94 ERA over 180 1/3 innings with the Mariners in 2024, earlier than his bone spurs hampered his progress final yr.
