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Pittsburgh Pirates Should Trade For Dioner Navarro

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Toronto Blue Jays Dioner Navarro

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a rough first month of free agency. It looks like pitchers Francisco Liriano and Edinson Volquez will sign with other teams and catcher Russell Martin has already left. Because of this last move, the Pirates are stuck with Chris Stewart, Francisco Cervelli and Tony Sanchez to fill the void that Martin is leaving behind the plate. That is a lot of production for those three players to try to replicate, and none of them have proven that they can produce in an everyday role. That is why the front office should look for another catching option, and the best move would be to trade with the Toronto Blue Jays to bring in Dioner Navarro.

If this trade happens, then the Pirates and the Blue Jays would essentially be trading 2014 starting catchers. Toronto signed Martin to a five-year deal worth $82 million, which was way more than Pittsburgh could afford. It is a great deal for Martin, because he is returning to his home country and gets the payday he deserves. It is also a good deal for the Blue Jays, because Martin is great at helping pitchers reach their fullest potential and his defense is excellent.

The downside of this signing is that the payroll for Blue Jays’ catchers will be at $12 million in 2015. That is a lot of money for one position, especially when the backup is set to make almost as much as the starter. Navarro’s contract is worth $5 million this season and he will be a free agent in 2016, so it would make a lot of sense for the Blue Jays to try to move him. The Pirates are in need of a catcher this year and there is money to be spent now that Martin is gone.

If Pirates general manager Neal Huntington does make this move, then the trade for Cervelli, rather than bringing in a starter, would instead give Pittsburgh options for the backup spot. The hope right now is that Stewart and Cervelli will split time behind the plate, but that option has its issues. The biggest of which is that neither catcher has been an extremely productive player and can’t be counted on to start as many games as Martin did. Navarro, however, has been a productive starter with the Blue Jays last year and with the Tampa Bay Rays earlier in his career.

Bringing in Navarro to start this season would give the Pirates a choice between Stewart and Cervelli for the backup spot, where both would be better suited. Pittsburgh can pay the $5 million on Navarro’s contract this year and decide whether or not to extend him beyond 2015. The front office would most likely choose to let him walk after this season and hope that prospect Elias Diaz will be ready for the major leagues in 2016. Navarro would be a solid option behind the plate for Pittsburgh this year and trading for him should be a move that the Pirates strongly consider.

Andrew Lenz is a blogger for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @RealAndyLenz, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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