Mariners Finally Release Mitch Garver and Rob Refsnyder in Long-Awaited Roster Shakeup
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The Mariners have finally done what many fans have been screaming for. They’re acting like a team with October aspirations and are choosing to stop carrying veterans who aren’t helping.
According to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, Seattle released catcher Mitch Garver and outfielder Rob Refsnyder on Tuesday. With Taylor Ward reporting after Monday’s trade with the Baltimore Orioles, Refsnyder lost his spot. And Jhonny Pereda will be recalled from Triple-A Tacoma to replace Garver.
That isn’t exactly ceremonial. It’s a clear admission that the roster spots had become more valuable than the players occupying them, and it didn’t matter how much it would cost.
Taylor Ward’s Arrival Made Rob Refsnyder Expendable
Start with Refsnyder. Seattle gave him a one-year, $6.25 million deal last winter and trusted his history of punishing left-handed pitching. That bat never arrived. Refsnyder hit .133/.203/.219 with zero home runs across 49 games, turning an intended matchup weapon into a massive hole in the lineup. Ward gives the Mariners a broader route to production immediately. The new guy not only squeezed Refsnyder out. His arrival made it impossible to keep explaining why Refsnyder was still here.
Garver’s release carries more history. Seattle signed him to a two-year, $24 million deal before the 2024 season, watched him post an 88 wRC+ over the next two years, declined his $12 million mutual option and then brought him back on a minor league contract. The reunion produced a .183 average and .627 OPS this season. At some point, patience stops being admirable and becomes malpractice. Many wanted Pereda to stay with the major league club when Cal Raleigh returned from injury. Now, we’ll get to see how that goes.
These aren’t ruthless cuts so much as sober ones. We’ve seen enough of the lineup at this point. Pereda doesn’t have big shoes to fill. He just needs to catch, give Cal Raleigh proper breathers and avoid clogging and DH appearances. It’s a low bar, but it should be cleaner than Garver’s line. Perada slashed .270/.324/.365 with two home runs and four RBI in 63 at-bats. It’s a small sample, but it was enough for fans to want to see more.
The Mariners had reached the stage where keeping Garver for name recognition and a theoretical rebound made less sense than using a straightforward backup catcher.
Releasing Garver and Refsnyder doesn’t turn Seattle into an offensive juggernaut. Ward still has to hit, and the rest of this lineup must pull its weight. But contenders can’t let sunk costs or past track records occupy active-roster space. They have to act on what players are now.
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Tremayne Person is the Publisher for Mariners On SI and the Site Expert at Friars on Base, with additional bylines across FanSided’s MLB division. He founded the Keep It Electric podcast in 2023 and covers baseball with a blend of analysis, context, and a little well-timed side-eye just to keep things honest. Tremayne grew up a Mariners fan in Richmond, Va., and that passion ultimately led him to move to Seattle to cover the team closely and become a regular at home games. Through his writing, he connects with fans who want a deeper, more personal understanding of the game. When he’s not at T-Mobile Park, he’s with his dog, gaming, or finding the next storyline worth digging into.
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