The Seattle Mariners reportedly could have some depth on the way.
On Friday night, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reported that the Mariners are “in talks” with veteran catcher Andrew Knizner in free agency.
“Some free agent news: Veteran catcher Andrew Knizner is in talks with Seattle on a potential deal, sources say,” Cotillo wrote.
Adam Jude of The Seattle Times followed up and reported that Seattle is “closing in” on a deal with Knizner.
The Mariners reportedly could have another option soon
“The Mariners are closing in on a deal to sign veteran free agent catcher Andrew Knizner, industry sources told The Seattle Times,” Jude wrote. “A contract had not been finalized as of Friday afternoon. Knizner, 30, would serve as Cal Raleigh’s backup, a position that came open when the Mariners traded top catching prospect Harry Ford to the Washington Nationals last week for lefty reliever Jose Ferrer.
“Knizner was non-tendered by the San Francisco Giants last month. He’s spent parts of seven seasons in the majors, the first five with the St. Louis Cardinals. He had his best season in 2023, appearing in 70 games with the Cardinals, hitting 10 homers with a .712 OPS and a 1.0 bWAR.”
Knizner is 30 years old and is a very capable backup option, if the Mariners get the deal over the finish line. He’s a seven-year big league veteran with experience with the St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, and the San Francisco Giants. He has played 323 games in his career and is a career .211 hitter with 19 homers and 90 RBIs.
Cal Raleigh had one of the best overall seasons for a catcher in big league history in 2025. He should have another big year ahead and now the club reportedly could have a veteran depth option on the way behind him. You can never have too much depth. Having a guy like Knizner could help get Raleigh off his feet a bit.
His best season came in 2023 with St. Louis. That year, he slashed .241/.288/.424 with 10 homers and 31 RBIs in 70 games.
