Seattle down to just one Mitch now; the end of an era
The Mariners announced today they have released Mitch Haniger.
“Mitch has been a significant part of Mariners history and will be missed,” Mariners President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto said in a team statement. “The day he arrived for his first spring training back in 2017, he established himself as one of the most focused, prepared, and hardest working players I’ve ever been around. We all appreciate the many ways he’s made us all better, on the field and off.”
Haniger, 34, has spent the majority of his career as a Seattle Mariner after being acquired in the 2016 offseason as one of Jerry Dipoto’s biggest trades, shipping off Taijuan Walker and Ketel Marte in exchange for Jean Segura, Mitch Haniger, and pitcher Zac Curtis. Segura was the headliner of that deal, but it was Haniger who would become the most significant Mariner from that trade, remaining with the team until becoming a free agent 2023, when he returned to his hometown Giants on a three-year deal.
After an injury-marred year in San Francisco, Haniger returned to the Mariners prior to the 2024 season when the Mariners took a chance on a bounceback year, sending Robbie Ray, at the time recovering from TJ surgery, to the Giants in exchange for Haniger and pitcher Anthony DeSclafani, who the Mariners then flipped to the Twins as part of a trade package to acquire Jorge Polanco. Unfortunately, Haniger’s bat never bounced back, and his playing time in the outfield was eclipsed slowly at first, and then entirely: first by the offseason addition of Luke Raley, then by the in-season acquisitions of Victor Robles, and later Randy Arozarena.
Any chance at a return to form in 2025 was sidetracked this spring, as Haniger suffered left shoulder discomfort that has held him out of games since March 8. With Haniger now limited to a part-time DH role and Rowdy Tellez looking positioned to make the team after a solid—and healthy—spring, the Mariners decided to absorb the $15.5M remaining on his contract. It’s a surprising move for the Mariners, who are an extremely cost-conscious organization, but unfortunately, a necessary one given the roster composition and Haniger’s pre-injury performance.
For Mariners fans, scenes of a triumphant Haniger earning an All-Star berth in 2018, battling for a playoff berth in 2021 and then succeeding in that goal in 2022 will hopefully be the enduring image of Haniger’s tenure in Seattle, rather than the end.
“Putting on a Mariners uniform and playing at T-Mobile Park is something I’ll cherish forever,” Haniger said in a statement shared by the team. “To our fans, my teammates, and everyone a part of this organization, thank you for embracing my family and me. We have so many great memories to look back on.”