MLB insider confirms Mariners were forced to settle in backup catcher search

Colorado Rockies v San Francisco Giants | Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/GettyImagesFinding a backup catcher shouldn't be a priority for any team in any offseason, especially when the starter is someone as impressive and durable as Cal Raleigh. Still, the Mariners needed someone else on the depth chart and ended up with Andrew Knizner, who they signed to a one-year, $1 million deal.

As a second-stringer for his entire big league career, he's hardly someone to get excited about. Over his 975 plate appearances, he has just a 68 wRC+ and hasn't made more than 100 plate appearances since 2023. Defensively, he's worse than average and has accumulated -21 Defensive Runs Saved over nearly 2,300…