Rumored signing simply can't be the Mariners answer for Cal Raleigh's backup

The Seattle Mariners are reportedly nearing an agreement with veteran catcher Andrew Knizner on what’s expected to be a Major League contract. According to Adam Jude of The Seattle Times, the situation is not official yet.  And the second you see the name, the same question pops up in every Mariners fan’s brain: Why this guy?

If this winds up being a harmless depth flier, fine. Catcher depth matters, and Seattle doesn’t currently have a second catcher on the 40-man after Mitch Garver hit free agency and Harry Ford got shipped out for lefty reliever Jose A. Ferrer.  A warm body in camp is better than pretending Cal Raleigh can catch 162 games and simply “vibe” his way through the wear-and-tear.

Mariners’ latest catcher rumor raises one uncomfortable question behind Cal Raleigh

If Knizner is the plan behind Raleigh, then the Mariners are basically telling you they’re comfortable playing offense on hard mode the second Cal takes a day off.

Knizner’s résumé is basically a warning label. He hit .221/.299/.299 with one homer in 88 plate appearances for the Giants in 2025, and his career line sits at .211/.281/.316 in just under 1,000 MLB plate appearances.  Offensively, that’s not “backup catcher who can hold it down.” That’s “please don’t let Cal take a foul tip off the mask in April.”

In a defensive sense, this isn't the kind of guy who's going to carry the glove in order to make up for the bat. The past year or so, he's had some average grades for his framing, but the blocking hasn't really been that good, and I would say he's got a middle-of-the-road arm. He's thrown out just 16.4 percent of base runners over the last 4 seasons.

Here is the other part: if it’s a big-league deal, Knizner has enough service time that he can’t just be stashed in Tacoma without his consent. Thus, you are not purchasing a flexible depth piece; you are purchasing a roster position.

Knizner was an actual prospect (No. 3 in the Cardinals' system in 2019) but that was six years ago. Unless you’re in a really comfortable division lead in August, “former prospect” catching a bullpen game is not the kind of problem you want to be testing in real time.

If Seattle is serious about keeping Raleigh fresh and keeping the offense afloat when he sits, this can’t be the only move. Even if a Garver reunion isn’t thrilling, the Mariners are open to it — and at least that version looks like a real MLB backup plan. Because if you hated trading Harry Ford, watching Knizner become the No. 2 is going to feel like rubbing salt directly into the wound.