The Seattle Mariners have added a bench coach with deep ties to Washington and a track record that should matter immediately behind the plate.
According to a Friday report from Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mariners are hiring Tanner Swanson to work alongside new manager Jason Kanzler. Swanson, a Washington native and Central Washington graduate, spent the last seven years with the New York Yankees as a catching coordinator. He was also recently elevated to major league field coordinator.
Swanson’s reputation in New York was built on the work he did with the Yankees’ catchers. Sherman noted that during Swanson’s seven seasons overseeing that group, the Yankees were among the majors’ best in multiple framing categories, especially catcher framing runs.
That background makes the hire especially relevant for Seattle and catcher Cal Raleigh. Raleigh won the Platinum Glove in 2024 for his work behind the plate, but he struggled more in 2026, particularly in framing and throwing.
Swanson is stepping into a new role at the major league level, but he does bring coaching experience. He previously served as head coach at Green River Community College in 2010-11 and has also been an assistant at Everett Community College, the University of Washington and Santa Clara University. He also worked as the bench coach for Great Britain during the 2026 World Baseball Classic, when former Mariners catcher Harry Ford was the team’s starter.
The move also appears to close the door on a possible Joe Espada pairing. There had been speculation that Seattle could bring in both Kanzler and the former Astros manager, with one handling the manager job and the other serving as bench coach, but that has not come together. After missing out on the Mariners’ managerial opening, it remains unclear whether Espada will look for another job in baseball or sit out a year.
Kanzler’s staff is still coming together, but a few pieces are already known. CJ Gillman is set to be the hitting coach, though the team has not made that official yet. Seattle is also searching for a baserunning coach and a first base coach after Eric Young Jr. was let go at the end of the season.
On the podcast side, the latest edition of the “Refuse to Lose Territory” podcast features a conversation with ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney about the hiring of Kanzler, along with his read on the move and what he’s hearing from around the game.
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Jason Kanzler now inherits the task of making that vision work in practice. The new manager has already framed his approach around flexibility, saying the offense has to score runs with the personnel available rather than chase one rigid formula, a mindset that mirrors some of the more successful recent trends around the game. For Seattle, the offseason may come down to whether that philosophy can mesh with whatever additions Dipoto finds, and whether the current roster can take a real step forward without forcing the front office into a bigger move. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Are Betting On One Hire To Fix A Costly Weak Spot
The Mariners made a notable staff addition this week by bringing in Tanner Swanson as bench coach, a move that also reflects how seriously theyre treating one of their most stubborn defensive issues. Swanson arrives with a reputation built on catcher development and defensive metrics, shaped by his work with the Yankees and earlier with the Twins, and Seattle is clearly betting that his background can translate into cleaner work behind the plate.
For a club that has been searching for ways to squeeze more value out of every run, the catcher position looms large. Swansons arrival gives the Mariners another voice with a track record in framing and receiving, and it puts a sharper focus on an area that hurt them badly a season ago. How much of a difference he can make will be one of the more interesting subplots around the team as the staff takes shape. [Read more 🡒]
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For Seattle, the appeal is obvious if the club wants a familiar, steady option at first base and a player who already knows the market and the clubhouse expectations. The fit is not without complications, though, because a reunion would ripple through the rest of the roster construction and force the Mariners to weigh how much they want to reshape the lineup around a returning veteran. [Read more 🡒]