Yankees Sign Veteran Catcher to Minor League Deal

Garver, 35, was released by the Seattle Mariners earlier this week after serving as Cal Raleigh’s backup for the past two and a half seasons. The club opted to replace him with 30-year-old Jhonny Pereda, who made a strong impression during his first big league stint earlier this year.

In 50 games this season, Garver has hit .175/.302/.294 with four home runs and 15 RBIs. His playing time diminished after Raleigh returned from the injured list on June 18, appearing in just 15 of the Mariners' 37 games that followed. He went 4-for-36 (.111) during that stretch, tallying one double, one home run, five walks and 17 strikeouts.

Garver is not the strongest defender behind the plate, though he was highly regarded for his veteran leadership and rapport with the Mariners’ pitching staff. The former Silver Slugger Award winner is best known for his bat, having produced a .756 OPS with 110 home runs over his 10-year career.

Leading up to the trade deadline, the Yankees were heavily linked to right-handed-hitting catchers, including Ryan Jeffers and Tyler Stephenson. They ultimately came away empty-handed in what general manager Brian Cashman described as a “very thin market of opportunity.” This led them to stick with Austin Wells and Ali Sánchez.

Wells, 27, was a solid regular for the Yankees in 2024 and 2025 but is having a very down season at the plate. Through 80 games, the lefty bat has produced a .169/.268/.289 slash line (.557 OPS) with eight home runs and 16 RBIs. He remains a strong defender, ranking toward the top of the league in Statcast’s blocking and framing metrics.

“I think Austin has been getting his offense going this past month,” Cashman said Monday. “A much closer version to what he’s capable of…. he does possess a lot of potential with that bat. Hopefully he’s starting to finally tap into it.”

Sánchez, 29, has produced a modest .268/.300/.357 slash line in a 32-game sample. The Yankees’ organizational depth also includes recently signed veteran Christian Bethancourt and J.C. Escarra, who had a .510 OPS over 92 plate appearances before being sent down to Triple-A in late June.

The opt-out date on Garver’s deal has not yet been reported, but if he hits well at Triple-A, it would not be a surprise to see him get a shot with the big league club. He must be added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster by noon ET on Sept. 1 in order to be eligible for the postseason.