World Series Titles Hopes Boosted: Addition of Former Mariners Catcher Will Be Key to Team’s Championship Bid
Earlier this week, the Baltimore Orioles designated catcher Blake Hunt for assignment. That means that the Orioles have seven days to trade him, place him on waivers or release him. If he clears waivers, he could return to the Orioles and be stashed in the minor leagues.
Whether it be via trade or a waiver claim, Hunt could be an intriguing name for the Seattle Mariners to pursue. After all, Hunt was with the Mariners organization in the minors for a period before the team traded him to the Orioles last may in a deal for reliever Mike Baumann.
Now 26 years old, Hunt was with the Tampa Bay Rays before getting to Seattle. He has yet to make his major league debut and is a .241 career hitter in the minor leagues. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres with the 69th overall pick in the 2017 draft out of the California high school ranks and got to Tampa Bay in the trade that sent Blake Snell to the Padres.
He played 24 games for Triple-A Tacoma in 2024, hitting .293 in that limited action with four homers and 20 RBI.
The Mariners could potentially use Hunt because they are rather thin in the catching department. They have Platinum Glove catcher Cal Raleigh at the big-league level, with veteran Mitch Garver as his backup. But beyond that, they are relegated to prospect Harry Ford only. Nick Raposo was designated for assignment on Tuesday.
The Mariners have a full 40-man roster, so if they did claim or trade for Hunt, they’d need to make a roster move.
