Seattle, WA

Mitch Garver feels 'really valued' with way Seattle Mariners see him

Published

2 years ago

January 4, 2024

Mitch Garver feels 'really valued' with way Seattle Mariners see him

Enticing free agent hitters to sign in Seattle has been a well-documented challenge. There’s the travel, the division, the weather and of course the pitcher-friendly ballpark. The team has positives to sell as well, however, and in his introductory meeting with the media Wednesday, new Seattle Mariners hitter Mitch Garver pointed to one aspect in particular the M’s could perhaps be using in their recruiting pitches.

“T-Mobile itself, I have not hit well at, but I also attribute that to the guys I’ve faced,” he said with a chuckle. “Going in there and facing Gilbert, Kirby, Woo, Miller, all these guys and you’re just like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ It’s one of those series where you kind of scratch and claw for runs, so I’m excited to be on their team now.”

New Seattle Mariners DH Mitch Garver is hitless at T-Mobile Park – is it a problem?

All’s well that ended well for Garver and the Rangers, who left that final regular season with a 3-1 series loss to the Mariners, but hoisted a World Series trophy a month later. Shortly after, Garver became a free agent for the first time in his career. The Mariners contacted him early and were aggressive in their pursuit.

“The way they presented, how they saw me as a player made me feel really valued,” he said. “They really liked the player that I am and the player that I can be. They pitched a few things that I can work on and ways that they can help me. And I’m always trying to get a little bit better at stuff here and there. So it just seemed like a team that’s so forward-thinking.”

Garver is a clear fit for what the Mariners are looking for at the plate as they look to reduce strikeouts in 2024. He certainly has the pop, but he also owns a chase rate that is elite. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he speaks the Mariners’ hitting language coming in.

“I tend to control the strike zone,” he said. “I like to look for pitches I can hit hard and I usually don’t sacrifice weak contact just to put a ball in play. Like I’m not going to swing at something just to swing at it. And you know, things go well. I’m a line drive hitter that can that can hit a few out of the park and I can move the ball around the field a little bit. I’m not a one-dimensional hitter by any means.”

Garver will primarily fill the role of DH, something he began to transition to last year in Texas. Having observed a former Mariner while with the Twins, helped the process.

“It’s not an easy position to do,” he acknowledged. “But when I got into a consistent routine on how to do it, I became a little bit better at it. I learned a lot from Nelson Cruz, obviously. He’s probably one of the best DH’s out there. And being able to play alongside him and then on the other side of the field from him, as well, I learned a lot from him. So a lot of the things that I do now are just from watching him behind the scenes and being able to add that in my own game.”

Garver is not putting away the catching gear altogether, telling the media he will be the guy that “fills in as necessary” while continuing to prepare daily as a catcher.

“I like to be involved,” he said. “The last few months where I really didn’t have too much of a chance to get into the game catching, I still felt very involved. I was involved in the scouting reports, I was involved in the game calling, I was involved in the mid-game adjustments and the reviews that you do after the game. I always felt very obligated to be alongside Jonah (Heim). And we talked about the game as it’s going on. And we talked about adjustments that we might need to make or things that we see happening. And I think I have that experience that I can that I can bring to this team. I’ve learned a few things over the years. And obviously Cal (Raleigh) is a great catcher himself. And you know, he’s got a few years under his belt, but I do feel like the way that I’ve learned how to scout guys and everyone and how to scout myself and it kind of brings a different perspective on how teams can approach the opposing team.”

It will be interesting to see how the relationship will develop between the catchers and if Garver fits the part as “a guy who has been there” that Raleigh cited as a need the team had in his end of the year comments to the media. With seven years big league experience, three years in the postseason and, of course, winning it all, Garver brings good veteran experience and, by all accounts, is a great teammate. Raleigh has already touched base with him and Garver looks forward to getting going with his new team.

“It’s a really tough team to play against, especially the last few years with that pitching staff,” he said. “It’s a difficult team to face. A lot of talent, both in the starting rotation, in the bullpen, and then just the young players that they have that are obviously big-time players. It’s an exciting organization to be a part of.”

More on Seattle Mariners signing Mitch Garver

• What stands out as Mariners make Mitch Garver signing official
• Mariners likely not done after Garver addition, so what’s next?
• What’s the state of Mariners’ lineup with addition of Mitch Garver?
• Drayer: Digging into Seattle Mariners’ addition of Mitch Garver

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Seattle, WA

Here’s why the Blue Angels in Seattle on Monday

Published

25 minutes ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Here’s why the Blue Angels in Seattle on Monday

SEATTLE – Known for their high-flying skills above the skies during air shows, the Blue Angels will be in Seattle once again on Monday.

But with Seafair not until the summer, many are wondering why the Navy pilots are in the Emerald City ahead of schedule.

Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornets are flying The Diamond Roll (four planes in formation), doing a 360-degree roll as one unit, flying at 400 mph over Lake Washington for the Seafair weekend in Seattle. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Keep reading to find out why the U.S. Navy Blue Angels are in Seattle on Jan. 12.

Why are the Blue Angels in Seattle now?

The Blue Angels returned to Seattle on Monday to begin preseason planning for the 2026 Boeing Seafair Air Show.

Pilots will assess airshow locations, scouting the skies and getting familiar with the landscape ahead of the Seafair Weekend Festival, when they perform in three separate air shows. Their visit brings the iconic Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornets to the city, the aircraft pilots use during the air show.

Blue Angels pilots plan to stay in Seattle until Tuesday, coordinating with Seafair event organizers. Last year, only two Blue Angels pilots were in Seattle for preseason planning, instead of the entire squadron.

When are the Blue Angels coming back to Seattle?

The Blue Angels will fly back to western Washington for the 2026 Boeing Seafair Air Show, on Friday, July 31 – Sunday, August 2, 2026.

They’ll also be in town for two practice runs on Thursday, July 30.

When is the 2026 Seafair Air Show?

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will perform in three air shows throughout Seafair weekend. They’re happening each afternoon on July 31 through Aug. 2 on Lake Washington and at Genesee Park.

The multi-day Seafair Weekend Festival also includes the Apollo Mechanical Cup Hydroplane Races, along with live entertainment, food and drinks, and family-friendly activities. Tickets for the festival go on sale in February.

Who are the Blue Angels?

The Blue Angels is a team of elite Navy flight demonstrators, showcasing their aviation skills in high-speed, precision aerobatic performances.

They perform in air shows across the U.S. each year, with the goal of inspiring a culture of excellence and service to country, displaying the teamwork and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps.

Formed in 1946, this year marks the 80th year of the Blue Angels. They take pride in performing for audiences both at home and abroad, showcasing the excitement, precision, and power of Naval aviation.

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The Source: Information in this story came from U.S. Navy Blue Angels, Seafair, and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.

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Seattle, WA

Seattle Seahawks land 2 players on list of potential salary cap cuts in 2026

Published

13 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Seattle Seahawks land 2 players on list of potential salary cap cuts in 2026

No matter how the playoffs go for the Seatte Seahawks, general manager John Schneider and his team are looking at a very busy offseason ahead.

In addition to their usual preparations for the 2026 NFL draft, Seattle has a ton of important players who are about to become unrestricted free agents. That list includes special teams superstar Rashid Shaheed, running back Ken Walker and defensive standouts Boye Mafe, Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant.

It’s going to be really difficult to keep that entire group together, even with a lot of cap space projected to be open in 2026. The Seahawks may have to create room with some salary cap casualties after the season is over.

On that note, Over the Cap has listed a pair of Seattle players as potential cap casualties. Let’s review both of them.

OLB Uchenna Nwosu

Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum (22) dives for a touchdown against Seattle Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (7) in the second half at Lumen Field. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Coming in at No. 46 on OTC’s list is veteran edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu, who has one year remaining on his contract with a cap hit just over $20 million. Nwosu has been valuable when he’s on the field but he’s also missed a ton of time due to injuries and it will be difficult to justify his cap hit with so many other players to pay.

Seattle can save a little over $11.5 million if they cut Nwosu, before June 1 or after. However, they would also take on a dead money hit north of $8.5 million, which takes a lot of the flavor out of those cap savings.

In 45 games with the Seahawks, Nwosu has tallied 19.5 sacks, 52 QB hits, 24 tackles for a loss, five forced fumbles and eight pass breakups.

That’s a lot of good production across the board as an all-around defender, but he’ll turn 30 years old before next season is over and there are a lot of mouths to feed for Mike Macdonald’s defense.

Over the Cap projects there’s a 58.5% chance that the Seahawks will wind up cutting him. Our best guess is that will be the case, especially if they want to pursue someone like Maxx Crosby on the trade market.

K Jason Myers

Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks place kicker Jason Myers (5) kicks a field goal against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half at Levi’s Stadium. | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The only other Seahawks player who made the list (at No. 77) was placekicker Jason Myers, where the team has an interesting choice to make.

Myers has been around since the 2019 season and he’s come through for them more often than not. In 117 games he’s converted 200 of 232 field goal attempts, coming out to 86.2%. On extra point attempts he’s gone 292/307 for 95.1%.

Those are very solid numbers for an NFL kicker, and when you have a solid option at this position you don’t mess with it.

Another factor working in Myers’ favor is that Seattle really can’t save all that much money by cutting him. According to OTC’s numbers the Seahawks would create $5.1 million in cap room by cutting him, with a dead money hit of $1,875,000.

Five million might get Seattle a decent backup for their interior offensive line, or another contributor to Mike Macdonald’s defense. It’s not enough to really move the needle for this roster, though.

OTC gives it a 52.5% chance that Myers will get cut, but we don’t see that happening. If they want to lower his cap hit, the Seahawks can create a little over $3 million for 2026 with an extension. That’s the only move they should be looking to make at this spot.

Kraken Extend Streak In Comeback OT Loss | Seattle Kraken

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Kraken Extend Streak In Comeback OT Loss | Seattle Kraken

And while Dunn’s head coach insisted afterwards he doesn’t believe in “measuring stick games” the Kraken measured up fairly well in this one considering they played a pretty poor first period and needed half of the second frame to get any type of offense going against the league’s No. 2 defensive unit.

But they eventually got it going and the salvaged point, as Dunn mentioned, was huge in that it allowed the Kraken to remain in third place in the Pacific Division – just two points behind leaders Vegas and Edmonton – as they now embark on a five-city road trip. They extended their points streak to 10 games in the process, going 8-0-2 that stretch to transform a season hinging on the brink.

Mats Zuccarello got the overtime winner for Minnesota, converting a Kirill Kaprizov pass off a 2-on-1 break after the Kraken had been foiled just moments prior on their own odd-man rush. That foiled an outstanding night for Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer, who’d made several huge stops in both overtime and the third period to keep things tied, as well as prior to that frame to give his team the shot at a comeback.

The Kraken had spent the past week filling opposition nets with pucks but waited until the final 17 minutes to score their first goal of this game. By that point, they’d been trailing 2-0 since a pair of 42-foot wrist shot goals by Ryan Hartman and Brock Faber in the first period silenced the home crowd.

“The first period was awful, and our execution was probably the biggest part of that,” Dunn said. “It’s just tough when you’re chasing the game a little bit to start the game. So, we kind of set ourselves up for the second period to come out and play the right way and I thought as the game went on, we got a lot better.

“And I thought it was a pretty competitive game both ways. A lot of chances both ways.”

Grubauer kept things close from there, stopping 31 of 34 shots on the night to give his team a chance to get back in it.

Adam Larsson then got the Kraken on the board three minutes into the final period with a slap shot goal from the right circle after Dunn had rung one off the post on a prior blast seconds earlier. And the Kraken weren’t done yet.

The Wild ran into penalty trouble not long after and the Kraken capitalized on the power play with Matty Beniers banging home a net front rebound off a Jared McCann shot that lifted the home side into a 2-2 tie and sent the Climate Pledge Arena crowd into a frenzy.

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