Seattle Mariners moving catcher Omar Narvaez or Tom Murphy?

There are rumors that the Seattle Mariners are looking in moving catcher Omar Narvaez. I like the guy very much, however, I don’t have a problem trading him for the right player or package of players.

Narvaez and Tom Murphy combined to hit 40 home runs for the Mariners. Narvaez’s batting average was .278, while Murphy’s hit .273. Murphy is considered the better defensive catcher of the two. Narvaez is 27 years old, while Murphy is 28, so not much difference in age.

Seattle could trade one of the two; however, if a team is looking for a starting catcher Omar Narvaez has been one while Murphy as a backup. The Mariners do have Cal Raleigh coming up the ranks as the #7 prospect in the Mariner system. He was drafted by Seattle in the 3rd round in 2018.

This last season was Raleigh’s first full year in professional ball. He played most of the year at High-A where he played in 82 games, hitting .261with 22 home runs. At the end of the season, the Mariners moved him up to Double-A Arkansas where he hit just .228 with seven home runs in 39 games.

Seattle will most likely start Raleigh at Arkansas in spring 2020 than move him up to Triple-A Tacoma during the year if he is ready. If this happens Raleigh could be the Mariners starting catcher in 2021.

At this point, Raleigh is like Narvaez where he is known for his bat more than his glove. However, the Mariners really like his work ethic. Since Seattle are rebuilding, trading Narvaez or Murphy does make sense.

If either catcher is traded, Austin Nola will likely become the backup catcher. He did an excellent job playing first base, and on occasion, second base. The Mariners could acquire another catcher to be a backup as well.

We might see this unfold this week with Jerry Dipoto trading Narvaez or Murphy. Right now, the likelihood is Narvaez since they are the rumors going around. I’ll put my trust in Dipoto since he has had more success than failure since being the Mariners general manager. Go M’s.