yardbarker
Mitch Garver's tenure with the New York Yankees organization has come to an end without him ever donning the pinstripes in a regular-season game. The 35-year-old catcher, who joined the club on a minor-league contract in July, has decided to retire from professional baseball after a decade in the majors, according to Minnesota-based reporter Ted Schwerzler.
New York had been looking to add catching depth behind Austin Wells, whose offensive production had dipped, but the team opted not to make a significant move at the trade deadline. Instead, they signed Garver shortly after his release from the Seattle Mariners, hoping he could provide a low-cost option for the stretch run. However, Garver was assigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he struggled in limited action, hitting .179 with a .324 on-base percentage and a .214 slugging percentage in 34 plate appearances. He never received a call-up to the Bronx.
Key Analysis
Garver's career began when the Minnesota Twins selected him in the ninth round of the 2013 draft out of the University of New Mexico. He made his major league debut in 2017 and had his best season in 2019, batting .273 with 31 home runs, a .630 slugging percentage, and 4.1 WAR in 93 games, earning a Silver Slugger Award. After the 2021 season, Minnesota traded him to the Texas Rangers, where he contributed to their 2023 World Series championship. He then signed a two-year, $24 million deal with Seattle, but his production declined, posting a .627 OPS in 2024 and .639 in 2025. Over 10 seasons with the Twins, Rangers, and Mariners, Garver compiled a .229 average, .325 on-base percentage, .432 slugging percentage, 110 home runs, 324 RBI, and 10.0 career WAR. His abrupt retirement leaves the Yankees without the experienced backup they had hoped to develop, and it closes a chapter that never quite intersected with the franchise that briefly held his rights.
Originally reported by yardbarker.