The Seattle Mariners appear to have zeroed in on a solution for their backup catcher role heading into the 2026 season, with a familiar veteran emerging as the frontrunner for the job.
According to sources who spoke with MLB.com late Friday, Seattle is close to finalizing a Major League contract with catcher Andrew Knizner. While the organization has not yet made the move official, the agreement is said to be contingent upon Knizner successfully completing a physical examination. Once completed, the signing would place the Mariners’ 40-man roster at 39 players. Even with this addition, the front office is expected to continue exploring options to strengthen the bullpen, an area that remains a priority as the offseason unfolds.
The urgency to address the backup catcher position increased significantly following a recent trade. Last Saturday, Seattle sent catching prospect Harry Ford and Minor League pitcher Isaac Lyon to the Washington Nationals in exchange for left-handed reliever Jose A. Ferrer, a move designed to add leverage help to the bullpen.
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Prior to that trade, Ford had been viewed as the organization’s third catcher option entering the offseason. He was positioned behind Cal Raleigh, the club’s All-Star starter, and Mitch Garver, who departed as a free agent after the postseason concluded. With Ford no longer in the organization and Garver unsigned, Seattle suddenly found itself thin behind Raleigh, making the addition of an experienced backstop increasingly necessary.
Even with Knizner likely joining the roster, the Mariners are not expected to stop there. General manager Justin Hollander hinted earlier this week at the Winter Meetings that the club plans to continue adding catching depth, particularly at the upper levels of the Minor Leagues, before Spring Training begins. The organization appears intent on insulating itself against injuries or performance issues while maintaining flexibility for the future.
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One of the key names in Seattle’s long-term outlook at catcher is Luke Stevenson, whom the Mariners selected with the 35th overall pick in the Competitive Balance Round A of the 2024 MLB Draft. Stevenson is widely regarded as a significant piece of the franchise’s future plans.
In fact, some evaluators believe he possesses a higher ceiling than Ford did. At 21 years old, Stevenson already brings a level of polish that is uncommon for players his age. He spent the previous two seasons playing collegiate baseball at the University of North Carolina, experience that has helped accelerate his development.
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Within Seattle’s highly regarded farm system — ranked third overall by MLB Pipeline — Stevenson currently sits as the organization’s No. 9 prospect. His combination of defensive ability, offensive upside, and maturity makes him a promising long-term option behind the plate. However, despite his potential, the Mariners are not counting on Stevenson being ready to contribute at the Major League level by 2026. As a result, the club remains focused on reinforcing its catching depth in the short term, which is precisely where Knizner fits into the picture.
Knizner spent the 2025 season with the San Francisco Giants, though his time there was relatively limited. He appeared in 33 games before being designated for assignment on November 21. Shortly thereafter, he chose free agency.
During his stint with San Francisco, Knizner posted a slash line of .221/.299/.299, resulting in a .598 OPS across 88 plate appearances. His offensive contributions included one home run, one triple, one double, and five runs batted in. From a plate discipline standpoint, he struck out at an 11.4% rate while drawing walks in 8.0% of his plate appearances.
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Advanced metrics reflect modest overall production. Knizner finished with a 73 weighted runs created plus (wRC+), well below the league-average mark of 100, and accumulated 0.2 wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs. While these numbers do not suggest an impact bat, Seattle is not expecting Knizner to provide significant offensive output. That responsibility firmly belongs to Raleigh, who has established himself as one of the most durable and heavily used catchers in the American League.
Raleigh’s workload underscores why Seattle values a reliable backup. In 2025, he led all primary AL catchers in both plate appearances, totaling 705, and innings caught, logging 1,072 frames behind the plate. Given that level of usage, the Mariners’ priority is to ensure Raleigh can remain healthy and productive throughout the season, which requires a competent second catcher capable of handling spot starts and late-game defensive duties.
Knizner brings extensive experience in that role. Over the course of his Major League career, he has logged 2,286 innings catching at the big-league level.
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Defensively, his recent metrics have been mixed. In 2025, Statcast placed him in the 22nd percentile in blocks above average, registering minus-3, and in the 10th percentile in pop time, with an average of 2.00 seconds. Additionally, over the past four seasons, he has thrown out 16.4% of opposing basestealers, a figure that falls below league average.
Despite these defensive limitations, Knizner offers experience, familiarity with pitching staffs, and a steady presence in the clubhouse — qualities that are often valued in a backup catcher. He will turn 31 years old on February 3 and has appeared in parts of seven Major League seasons.
His career began with the St. Louis Cardinals, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2016 MLB Draft. Knizner spent five seasons with St. Louis from 2019 through 2023, serving primarily as a backup before moving on.
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More recently, Knizner crossed paths with members of Seattle’s front office during his time in Texas in 2024, making him a known commodity to decision-makers within the organization. That familiarity likely played a role in Seattle’s interest, as teams often value prior exposure when targeting role players who are expected to fit seamlessly into defined responsibilities.
In sum, while Andrew Knizner may not be a headline-grabbing acquisition, he addresses a clear and immediate need for the Mariners. His pending addition would stabilize the depth chart behind Cal Raleigh while buying time for prospects like Luke Stevenson to continue developing. At the same time, the move reflects Seattle’s broader offseason approach: addressing specific roster gaps with practical, low-risk solutions while continuing to search for upgrades in other areas, particularly the bullpen, as the club prepares for the seasons ahead.
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