The Mariners' 3 best options to back up Cal Raleigh after Harry Ford trade

The Seattle Mariners didn't need someone to back up Cal Raleigh as recently as Saturday morning, when Harry Ford seemed to have a strong grip on the job. But now that Ford is a Washington National via a stunning trade, that job doesn't seem to belong to anyone.

With Ford out of the picture, the Mariners don't have any catchers not named Raleigh on their 40-man roster. Nick Raposo is probably their best in-house option to be added to the 40-man, but he's a 27-year-old who has yet to play in the majors.

Free agency is therefore Seattle's best option to find someone to be Raleigh's backup, but the ongoing pursuit of Jorge Polanco complicates things. The Mariners need to earmark as much as $15 million for his 2026 salary, and they can only add exactly that much to next year's payroll before it matches what they spent in 2025. They could be willing to push the envelope further, but you have to think it won't be very far if they do.

All this is to say that the Mariners will have to find Raleigh's catching partner on the cheap. Here are three ways they could do so in free agency.

The Mariners' 3 best free-agent options to back up Cal Raleigh after the Harry Ford trade

3. Christian Vázquez

Vázquez recently completed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Minnesota Twins, throughout which he was one of the worst hitters in the majors. In 260 games, he batted .215/.267/.311 with a 60 OPS+, denoting him as 40 percent worse than the average hitter.

But if nothing else, Vázquez still offers strong bat-to-ball and situational hitting skills, both of which could be of use to the Mariners at the bottom half of their lineup. The 35-year-old also remains a capable defender, traditionally offering strong framing and solid blocking and throwing talents.

This is also a guy who has been there and done that in October. Vázquez won a World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2018, and again with the Houston Astros in 2022. After falling oh-so-short of the Fall Classic in 2025, the Mariners could benefit from having his presence in the clubhouse.

2. Mitch Garver

The Mariners bought out Garver's $12 million mutual option for 2026 in early November, which seemed to put an end to his time in Seattle. But not so fast, says Adam Jude of The Seattle Times:

This probably isn't what Mariners fans want to hear after Garver landed with a thud in his two years with the team. After arriving via a two-year, $24 million deal, he posted an 85 OPS+ across 2024 and 2025.

Still, the 34-year-old is the "devil you know" option for the Mariners. It's also worth bearing in mind that an 85 OPS+ is actually a solid mark for a backup catcher, and this one even offered well-above-average exit velocity in 2025.

1. Victor Caratini

This one might be a reach. Caratini earned $6 million in 2024 and 2025 while playing for the Houston Astros, and he has every right to look to do at least as well in his next deal for 2026.

The 32-year-old hit .263/.329/.406 over the last two seasons, good for an above-average 105 OPS+. He even cranked a career-high 12 home runs this year, all while maintaining a 16.8 strikeout percentage that ranked in the 77th percentile.

Caratini's defense tends to be more passable than good, though he has historically gotten decent marks for his framing. Either way, the Mariners would be paying for a bat-first catcher who could take reps at designated hitter when he's not spelling Raleigh. It could be money well spent even if it required them to stretch their budget.