The Mariners have re-signed catcher Jacob Nottingham to a minor league deal, as noted in the transactions tracker on Nottingham’s MLB.com profile page. It’s unclear if the deal includes an invite to big league camp for the 30-year-old.
Nottingham is a veteran of four MLB seasons but hasn’t appeared in the majors since the 2021 season. A one-time top-100 prospect who was initially drafted by the Astros, he was involved in the 2015 Scott Kazmir swap between the Astros and A’s before being flipped to the Brewers in the Khris Davis deal ahead of the 2016 season. Nottingham lost his prospect shine during his time in Milwaukee and served mostly as an up-and-down catcher for the Brewers from the time of his MLB debut in 2018 until 2021, when he was claimed off waivers by the Mariners. He returned to the Brewers via trade shortly thereafter but was eventually DFA’d by Milwaukee and plucked off waivers by Seattle for a second time later in the year.
Then 26 years old, Nottingham ended the 2021 season with a career .184/.277/.421 slash line across 130 plate appearances in 54 MLB games, which remains his career slash line in the big leagues to this day. Since being outrighted off the Mariners’ roster in 2021, he’s bounced between the Mariners’, Giants’ and Nationals’ minor league systems and also enjoyed a 44-game stint in the independent Mexican League back in 2024. In 293 career minor league games, Nottingham owns a .235/.321/.415 slash line line that’s generally solid by the standards of a catcher. Those numbers are somewhat inflated by years spent in the Pacific Coast League, however, and Nottingham’s 2025 campaign left much to be desired. He appeared in just 17 games in Tacoma for the Mariners organization last year, and in those limited opportunities he struggled to the tune of a .193/.277/.298 slash line.
Given Nottingham’s limited playing time last year and struggles when he did take the field, it’s hard to imagine him being a significant part of the backup catcher conversation for Seattle. Cal Raleigh is, of course, the undisputed top catcher in not only the organization but all of baseball. The Mariners are planning on having Andrew Knizner back Raleigh up this year, although Jhonny Pereda is also on the 40-man roster while Mitch Garver, Brian O’Keefe, and Jakson Reetz are all in camp as non-roster invitees. Some of those depth options figure to have opt-outs in their contracts and could look for greener pastures elsewhere in the likely event they don’t make the MLB club. That’s where Nottingham could come into the picture as a depth piece who is familiar with the organization and can serve as a veteran mentor for pitchers at Triple-A.
One of those organizational catchers that’s probably good at teaching pitchers. May lead to a minor league coaching job soon but likely has no chance of getting back to the majors.
Haven’t heard his name in a while, Cool to see him hanging around still chasing the dream, with all the need for catcher depth you never know when you might get that shot again.
His future really is coaching. Be a good job for him and continue career in baseball.
Because they are going to keep Garver on the opening day roster and although they will still need to pay him $1 million, Knizner will walk, and they still need another Triple AAA Catcher? (though they still have Pereda and O’Keefe). If you are going to sign someone, go sign Danny Coulombe. $2 million? less? His numbers are still really solid. He would help.
Love the picture
Me too but because his legs spread 😏🙂🙃
He will get traded to Milwaukee for cash by June
I get it, with all those pitchers in camp it makes sense not to have any pitchers sitting down, keep them on their toes. I do remember Notingham he is a sizable catcher looks like at the plate he can even hit if not for average for some power.
They are down a catcher right now with Cal out. His stats never shown much in average or power in batting.
What up? With Notingham he’s been on the team for awhile now, nothing new here. I know you can do better.
Slow news day.
There’s a new Sheriff in town!
But i did not shoot the deputy
Norm Charlton is back also! Hope Ayala also!
If Ayala is within 1,000 miles of the Mariners then something has gone wrong.
Lol..good one!
Tricky trees!
Nottingham isn’t making the team but it’s cool that he’s willing to do the thankless job of helping pitchers get their work in this spring.
The M’s love Nottingham and O’Keefe. They’ll never make the majors again, but there appears to be mutual respect. I could see both having long post-playing careers in the organization.
AAA has this weird Development List where you can shuffle guys off of the playing roster indefinitely. I know that the Cubs used that to roster an extra catcher last year (Caleb Knight) who would only play 11 games through August 17 – several of them in doubleheaders – before playing somewhat regularly for the last month of the AAA season.
It’s basically a player-coach setup. I would expect that Nottingham will be used in a similar manner.
He’ll be coaching, not playing, according to the Seattle Times.
More specifically: “Nottingham is actually converting to coaching. He signed a minor league deal as a player but he will coach. It is something they’ve done in the past.”