There goes another one.
According to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the Blue Jays have agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal with free-agent catcher Dioner Navarro.
The deal reportedly is pending a physical. Once official, it will further deplete a dwindling catching market. Brian McCann, Carlos Ruiz, Jose Molina, Brayan Pena and Geovany Soto are among the other free-agent backstops who have already found homes this winter. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, A.J. Pierzynski, John Buck and Kurt Suzuki are among the catchers still available in free agency.
The Red Sox are one team currently sorting out their catching situation. Saltalamacchia could end up returning, but general manager Ben Cherington said last week that Boston is in a position to be selective when it comes to the catching market. David Ross is currently penciled in as the club’s backup catcher for 2014, while Ryan Lavarnway could also become a part of the major league mix. Prospects Christian Vazquez and Blake Swihart are working their way through the Red Sox’ minor league system.
There was a report earlier this offseason that Navarro had drawn initial interest from the Red Sox, but another report later surfaced stating that Boston was not in pursuit of the 29-year-old. Navarro hit .300 (72-for-240) with 13 home runs and 34 RBIs in 89 games this past season, which was his first with the Cubs.
The Blue Jays will be Navarro’s sixth major league club, as he has played for the Rays, Dodgers, Reds and Yankees in addition to the Cubs. The veteran catcher’s best season came in 2008, when he appeared in a career-high 120 games and was named an All-Star.
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Photo via Wikipedia/Dioner Navarro
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