Seattle Mariners: What to do at Catcher

Originally posted on Pacific Northwest Sports
By Chris Phillips | Last updated 6/7/22

The Seattle Mariners are getting very little out of their catchers. So, what should they do?

A reoccurring question at the beginning of the season was would the Seattle Mariners carry three catchers? To begin the season, while the rosters were expanded, they did indeed carry Luis Torrens, Tom Murphy, and Cal Raleigh. Another question was, once the rosters went back to their normal size what would the M’s do with the three of them?

Subsequently, when the rosters did return to their normal size Raleigh was optioned to Tacoma. It wasn’t a very difficult decision either as he was hitting below .100. Torrens and Murphy handled the catching responsibilities, with Murphy taking the larger share. Murphy was playing well overall, both hitting and behind the plate. Then he went and dislocated his shoulder and landed on the injured list.

Talked to Tom Murphy today who confirmed that he has a torn labrum. He called surgery "imminent" and said it's a matter of if he can play with it this season. He will back off all baseball related activity for 10 days and reevaluate.

— Jen Mueller (@JenTalksSports) May 21, 2022

Boom goes the dynamite

The Seattle Mariners called Raleigh back up to take Murphy’s spot. Unfortunately, Murphy’s suffered a setback during his rehab. At this point, it’s unclear as to when he will return. And, now, he’ll most likely need a minor league rehab assignment. Leaving the Seattle Mariners with only Torrens and Raleigh as options. Prior to all of this, Murphy was hitting .303 with 9 runs scored, 2 doubles, 1 home run and RBI, 8 walks, and 13 strikeouts.

In house options

On the season Raleigh is hitting .169 with 10 runs scored, 2 doubles, 6 home runs, 14 RBIs, 7 walks, 33 strikeouts, and 3 errors. Fun fact, the Seattle Mariners are 6-0 when Raleigh hits a home run. So, there’s your winning formula. Torrens is hitting .214 with 7 runs scored, 1 double, 8 RBIs, 7 walks, 32 strikeouts, and 1 error. Subsequently, both of these catchers are being highly productive over the last couple of weeks. This brings us back to the question at the beginning of the season. When Murphy is healthy, will the M’s carry three catchers?