Mariners' Griggs resigns from front office role

SEATTLE — Catie Griggs has resigned as president of business operations for the Seattle Mariners, the team announced Friday.

Griggs arrived in Seattle in the summer of 2021 after four seasons as the chief business officer for Atlanta United in MLS. She oversaw all aspects of the Mariners organization outside of baseball operations. At the time of her hiring, the team said Griggs was the only woman to hold a president title with a club in the majors.

The Mariners said Griggs was taking a new position on the East Coast to be closer to family.

“In talking with her as she grappled with this decision to return to the East Coast it was clear how much she valued the people that make our organization and team special,” Mariners chairman John Stanton said in a statement. “But finding an opportunity for Catie and her husband, Justin, to be closer to their extended family was too important to pass up. I know this was a difficult decision for Catie, and I appreciate her professionalism in working with me as she worked through this process.”

Stanton will assume Griggs’ responsibilities on a interim basis until a new person is hired for the position. Griggs’ tenure in Seattle included hosting major events like the 2023 All-Star Game and the 2024 NHL Winter Classic, as well as the Mariners making the postseason in 2022, ending a 21-year playoff drought.

Griggs was hired as the replacement for Kevin Mather, who resigned in February 2021 after video surfaced of him making derogatory remarks about some players and club operations.