The Seattle Mariners have quietly made a seemingly small but significant move that clearly reflects how they’re managing their roster depth: inviting catcher Brian O’Keefe to Spring Training on a minor league contract.
On the surface, it’s just a non-binding offer. But for O’Keefe, it means something entirely different — a homecoming.
O’Keefe played for the Mariners in MLB from 2022–2023, making 10 appearances during a time when the team needed to fill the catcher position due to injuries and a paternity roster. He wasn’t a flashy name, but reliable enough for Seattle to use when needed. And now, in an offseason where the Mariners’ catcher depth has changed considerably, O’Keefe has arrived at just the right time.
His journey over the past few years hasn’t been smooth. After leaving Seattle, O’Keefe participated in Spring Training with the Twins before being cut in March. He signed a minor league contract with the Royals, where he unexpectedly exploded at Triple-A Omaha in 2024: 18 home runs, 130 wRC+ in just 72 games. That performance earned him another Spring Training invitation — but this time, luck wasn’t on his side.
The 2025 Omaha season was a slump. O’Keefe only hit .158 in 43 games before being released from his contract in June. At his age, and as a backup catcher, many might have thought his MLB journey was over.
But the Mariners weren’t.
What’s noteworthy is the current state of Seattle. Cal Raleigh remains the absolute cornerstone behind the plate, but the rest of the depth chart has been shaken up. Harry Ford — the long-term option expected — was traded to the Nationals for reliever Jose A. Ferrer. The idea of reuniting Mitch Garver was mentioned, then faded into silence. Instead, the Mariners signed Andrew Knizner, traded Jhonny Pereda, and brought in O’Keefe and Jason Reetz for Spring Training.
That wasn’t a coincidence. It was an open experiment.
O’Keefe brings something the Mariners know very well: familiarity with the organization, consistent catching ability, and — at least in the recent past — potential power at Triple-A. Of course, the 2025 slip-up can’t be ignored. But the Mariners are also a team that has repeatedly believed that a player past their prime can rediscover their value in the right environment.
At this stage, no one expects O’Keefe to threaten Raleigh’s position. But the third catcher position, depth in case of injury, or a role at Tacoma — all are currently vacant in terms of “sure answers.”
And that’s the opening.
The upcoming Spring Training will be unforgiving. O’Keefe will be competing against catchers with more options, who are younger and have received more recent investment. But his advantage lies in this: the Mariners know who he is, and he knows the situation he’s in.
This could be just a short-term offer. It could also be his last chance to cling to the edge of MLB. For Brian O’Keefe, returning to Seattle isn’t a step forward—it’s an opportunity to prove that his journey isn’t over yet.
And for the Mariners, this is the kind of small but sensible gamble they’re willing to take in a turbulent spring behind the plate.
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