Reunited: Blue Jays trade for catcher Dioner Navarro

The Toronto Blue Jays are getting the band back together.

Just prior to first pitch against the Minnesota Twins, it’s been reported that the Blue Jays have acquired catcher Dioner Navarro from the Chicago White Sox. 


Navarro enjoyed an excellent season with the Blue Jays in 2014, appearing in a career high 139 games and hitting .274 with 12 home runs. Now 32 years old, Navarro will offer the Blue Jays valuable catching depth and a switch-hit bat off the bench.

Last season in Toronto, Navarro lost his starting job to the free agent splash of Russell Martin and worked primarily in a backup role.

With the White Sox this season, Navarro has hit .210 in 298 plate appearances with six home runs and 32 RBI.

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The Blue Jays’ roster management up to September 1st will need a dash of creativity, but for the final month of the season the expanded roster will allow the club to match up catchers more comfortably. Josh Thole is still likely to stay with R.A. Dickey, but the playoff roster now becomes much more interesting.

Under the current rotation, Dickey would likely be left out of the starting rotation come playoff time. This would then deem Thole unnecessary to the 25-man roster and position Navarro for a spot as the backup catcher and bench bat.

In Turner, the Blue Jays are sending a 25-year-old left-hander who reached double-A for the first time this season. Despite owning a 5.23 ERA in his first nine outings with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Turner was nearly untouchable in his time between the Lansing Lugnuts and Dunedin Blue Jays earlier this season.

With the waiver trade deadline of August 31st now looming, the Blue Jays could also explore further left-handed enforcements to their bullpen.