Mariners Land New Bullpen Coach After Immediate Retirement As Braves Catcher

How will catching prepare this veteran for the bullpen?

Feb 20, 2025; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Austin Nola (20) as shot during MLB Media Day at Salt River Fields. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images | Allan Henry-Imagn Images

Back in August of 2020, the Seattle Mariners made a trade that has paid huge dividends.

In a wild seven-player deal with the San Diego Padres, the Mariners landed All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz, plus they got a couple of strong years out of Ty France. And the biggest name they gave up was catcher Austin Nola, who wound up having a few mediocre seasons in Southern California.

Now, Nola is back in the Mariners organization. But he won't be squatting behind the plate -- he'll be helping to coach Muñoz and seven of his teammates.

Austin Nola becomes bullpen coach for Seattle

Aug 2, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Austin Nola (20) on second on an RBI double in the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

On Tuesday, Nola was granted his release from a minor-league contract with the Atlanta Braves so he could retire and take on the Mariners' bullpen coaching job, according to a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

The pipeline from catcher to bullpen coach got some major reinforcement when current Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt did the same job, also for the Mariners, in his first year after retirement as a player. That's not to say Nola will be a manager in a year, but managing the bullpen is a valuable skill to learn as a player used to being in the dugout.

Nola's six-year major league career wound up resulting in a .247/.323/.364 slash line, 24 home runs, 137 RBIs, and 4.4 wins above replacement. After leaving the Padres, he signed minor-league deals with the Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals, then returned to the majors for 14 games with the Colorado Rockies this past season.

Nola signed his minor-league deal with the Braves on Oct. 20, so evidently, a few weeks and the right opportunity were all he needed to change his mind about continuing to strap on catcher's gear.

The Mariners have not yet announced Nola's hire or official title. Last season, Tony Arnerich served as both the bullpen coach and catching instructor, and he's still listed in the same positions on the team's official website.

Catchers frequently make excellent coaches, and we'll soon find out if the principle applies to Nola.

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