The New York Yankees were reportedly looking to improve behind the plate before the trade deadline. The Yankees were particularly interested in Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers, but Minnesota decided to keep Jeffers and improve its roster ahead of the deadline. The Yankees made a couple of big moves, acquiring first baseman Luis García Jr. from the Washington Nationals and outfielder Heliot Ramos from the San Francisco Giants, but never addressed their need for a catcher even though their starting backstop, Austin Wells, has had a rough year at the plate.
The Yankees may not have acquired Jeffers, but they managed to land a different catcher who has worn a Twins uniform in an MLB game. According to Ted Schwerzler of minnesotasportsfan.com, New York has agreed to a minor-league deal with former Minnesota catcher Mitch Garver. He will report to New York's Triple-A affiliate.
The Seattle Mariners signed Garver to a minor-league contract this past offseason. He made Seattle's Opening Day roster. The catcher slashed .175/.302/.294 with four home runs and 15 RBI with Seattle this season.
Mitch Garver played huge role on Twins' "Bomba Squad" team
Garver played a major role on the Twins' 2019 "Bomba Squad" team that set the single-season home runs record with 307. The Atlanta Braves tied the Twins' record in 2023.
Garver appeared in just 93 games with the Twins in 2019, yet hit 31 home runs while slashing .273/.365/.630. He appeared in 309 games with the Twins from 2017-21. The catcher missed a lot of time during his Twins tenure due to various injuries.
During his Twins career, Garver posted 7.3 bWAR and a .256/.341/.494 slash line with 53 home runs, 52 doubles and 154 RBI.
The Twins traded Garver to the Texas Rangers for shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and right-handed pitching prospect Ronny Henriquez on March 12, 2022. One day later, Minnesota traded Kiner-Falefa, third baseman Josh Donaldson and catcher Ben Rortvedt to the New York Yankees for catcher Gary Sánchez and infielder Gio Urshela.
Garver's struggles remaining healthy continued during his Rangers career. He appeared in 54 games in 2022 and 87 in 2023 before hitting free agency.
Garver put up strong numbers in 2023, slashing .270/.370/.500 with 19 home runs and 59 RBI. He hit three home runs during the 2023 postseason as the Rangers won their first World Series in franchise history.
The former Twins catcher landed a two-year, $24 million deal with the Mariners in the 2023-24 offseason. He posted -0.4 bWAR and a sub-.700 OPS during his first two years with the Mariners before rejoining the organization on a minor-league deal last offseason.
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