Why Morosi says Mitch Garver could be a Mariners trade chip

The Seattle Mariners are looking at a possible logjam at catcher.

Star Cal Raleigh had a successful rehab stint in the minor leagues last week and is set to return Tuesday from a stay on the injured list for an oblique strain, but Seattle’s two other catchers have performed well in his absence.

Stacy: Cal Raleigh doesn’t need to be the Mariners’ savior

Mitch Garver, who is in his third season with Seattle, has a slash line of .224/.350/.388 over his last 27 games for a .738 OPS. And 30-year-old Jhonny Pereda, who started the season with Triple-A Tacoma, is hitting .270 with a .324 on-base percentage and two home runs in 19 games this season.

Pereda has minor league options, so the Mariners could send him back to Tacoma and not risk losing him, whereas Garver would need to be designated for assignment and then clear waivers in order to remain with the franchise should Seattle decide to keep Pereda over him on the active roster. There’s also the possibility that the Mariners could go forth with three catchers for the time being.

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MLB Network insider Jon Morosi had an interesting view of the situation Monday during his weekly conversation with Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob.

“I think Pereda, to me, has earned the right to still be a part of this team,” Morosi said. “Now, what that means for Garver in terms of creating potentially some redundancy… Is Garver someone that would have some trade value out there to help you bring back a reliever now? I would not be opposed to that concept.”

The 35-year-old Garver, who is in his third season with the Mariners, is making $2.25 million this year and set to be a free agent this offseason. Pereda, on the other hand, isn’t set to hit free agency until 2032. Considering those facts, Morosi sees the opportunity for Seattle to shop Garver as a rental to other teams ahead of the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline.

“Pereda could be with this team for a long time and he has shown he’s a good two-way catcher,” Morosi said. “For me, he stays on the team, and then you see if there’s a way to potentially move Garver to a team that has a greater need for a catcher right now and to maybe bring back a reliever in return. That’s how I would play it.”

Hear the full Wyman and Bob conversation with MLB Network insider Jon Morosi in the podcast at this link or in the player below. Catch Wyman and Bob live from 2-7 p.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.

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