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Could Mitch Garver sneakily be the Mariners veteran clubhouse leader?
Since signing Mitch Garver, the new Mariners C/DH has been nothing but positive about the team. Could he take the role as their veteran clubhouse leader?
I've been accused of being a shill for the Mariners Front Office, someone who defends them more often than need be, but I think that has to do with an optimism about the team. Also, it's just more enjoyable to be positive about them. I bring this up because I'm quite excited about what Mitch Garver brings to this team, and I'm not just talking about at the plate.
No, I'm talking about the role that he could hold within the clubhouse. Mitch Garver is entering his 8th season, and will be 33, so he has been around a while. I know that we could look to the other Mitch, and that Haniger might be a better option since he was on the Mariners before and has been around just as long.
I wonder if Garver is the better fit, though, since he has been on more teams and has spent a lot more time in the playoffs as well. Especially coming off the run that the Rangers just had in winning the World Series in 2023. Could his new teammates in Seattle look to him as the new veteran leader in the clubhouse? It's a role that needs to be filled with the departure of Geno, and Garver could be a great fit.
It helps that he sounds excited to be here, and is looking forward to what the team can do. In an interview with MLB Network Radio, he had the following things to say.
“They have really good young talent... They have an MVP-caliber center fielder in Julio. There’s a lot of things to be excited about in this organization... “The [pitching] staff is unbelievable... The pitching staff alone -- it’s one of those teams you just really don’t like to face too often.”
It sounds like the right kind of comment to get this team hyped up a bit heading towards Spring Training, with Arizona only a month away. Yeah, it could just be saying the right thing at the right time as a new guy on a team, but it could also be the start of a new leader in the clubhouse embracing his role.
Mitch Garver has a chance to make a big impact on this team, both at the plate with a chance at a career high in ABs as well as in the clubhouse as a leader. Time will tell if those happen, but things seem to be off to a good start in Seattle.