Red Sox manager John Farrell acknowledged when Daniel Nava was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket in late April that the outfielder still was part of Boston’s 2014 plans. Nava’s track record suggested a return was likely.
Sure enough, Nava turned his season around and rejoined the Red Sox before long. He finished the year on a positive note despite the Red Sox’s lack of success, though it did little to add clarity to Nava’s future as Boston prepares for an interesting offseason that could involve several moving parts.
“It’s been a different year. Hard year? Yeah, in some regards, just because sometimes you envision what you’d like to happen. But things don’t always happen that way. That’s been the challenging part,” Nava told WEEI.com’s Alex Speier following the season. “The good part has been grinding it out, fighting your way and getting through the end, being able to look back and say, ‘It didn’t start out great. I had a bump here and there but was able to finish strong.'”
Nava, who described 2014 as a “really, really challenging” season for the Red Sox, is a good fit for Boston, largely because he’s a switch-hitter who produces better against right-handed pitching. The Red Sox are in dire need of a left-handed bat, though Nava isn’t sure whether his job is secure for 2015.
“Yes and no,” Nava told Speier, when asked if he felt secure in his role on the team. “Yes for now, based off where I am and the situation where we are. But for next year, I think everyone knows there’s a lot of moving pieces that are going to take place, between our need for pitching, the outfield with guys returning, stuff like that. My guess is, if I were to venture what it would mean, it would mean that things have to play themselves out.”
Nava’s hope is that his track record, which includes a very strong 2013 season and a solid second half of 2014, will permit him to stay with Boston. The 31-year-old is prepared for anything, however.
After all, Nava’s baseball journey has been anything but ordinary.
Photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
