Tanner Swanson is leaving the Yankees to become the Mariners' bench coach, a move that shifts one of the sport's more respected catching-development voices into a new role under Jason Kanzler in Seattle.
It is a notable change for both clubs. Swanson had been with the Yankees since November 2019, and his work helped shape a catching group that produced strong framing results. Now, after seven seasons with the organization, he is moving on at a time when Seattle has already begun to reshape its staff.
What Swanson did in New York
Swanson's reputation with the Yankees was built around the catching side of the game. His work was tied to the club's strong framing results, and the Yankees also moved on from several catchers who went on to earn significant playing time elsewhere.
That is part of why his departure matters. Swanson and Aaron Gershenfeld were credited with developing and often off-loading catchers, making the Yankees a productive environment for players at that position even when the roster changed around them.
Why Seattle made sense
The Mariners have acted quickly to bring in Swanson after earlier this week naming Jason Kanzler as manager. The bench coach role puts Swanson into a key support position on a staff that is clearly taking shape under new leadership.
There was already outside interest in Swanson last offseason, but this time around he was on an expiring contract, which opened the door to a move. For Seattle, it is a chance to add a coach with a track record of working closely with catchers and helping build structure behind the plate.
For the Yankees, it marks the end of a long run that began in November 2019. For the Mariners, it is one of the first clear personnel signals of how they want their coaching group to look moving forward.
