Yankees Sign Mitch Garver to Minor League Deal After Trade Deadline

The New York Yankees have signed veteran catcher Mitch Garver to a minor league deal after failing to secure a backstop during the trade deadline. This move adds a right-handed hitting option to their Triple-A roster.

Garver, 35, was released by the Seattle Mariners earlier this week amid a challenging season. He has previous experience working with Yankees director of catching Tanner Swanson from their time together in the Minnesota Twins organization. The Yankees had aimed to acquire Ryan Jeffers from the Twins but were unable to do so as Minnesota opted not to sell.

During the trade deadline, the Red Sox outbid the Yankees for Orioles All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman, while the Rays acquired lefty-hitting catcher Liam Hicks from the Marlins. Currently, the Yankees' roster includes Austin Wells and Ali Sánchez, with J.C. Escarra and recently signed veteran Christian Bethancourt at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Garver's performance this season has been underwhelming, batting .175 with a .596 OPS in 50 games.