Dioner Navarro, Catcher

Date of Birth: 2/9/1984
Birthplace: Caracas, Venezuela

Dioner Navarro, catcher, was first signed by the New York Yankees in 2000. From 2001 through 2004, he played in the Yankees' minor league system, playing in only five games with the Yankees in 2004.

The Yankees traded Navarro to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005 but the Diamondbacks then traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played in 50 games with the Dodgers in 2005. The following season, they sent him back to the minor leagues after just 25 games.

In June, 2006, Navarro was traded again, this time to the Tampa Bay Rays. He finally stayed with a team for several years, playing with the Rays from 2006 through 2010. His best season with them was 2008 when he batted .295 with 126 hits and 27 doubles in 120 games. Two years later, they sent him back to the minor leagues after 48 games.

Navarro returned to the Dodgers in 2011 after signing a one-year contract with them. However, they released him on August 30th, after 64 games. In January, 2012, Navarro signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. He ended up spending most of the 2012 season in the minors, playing in just 24 games with the Reds.

In November, 2012, Navarro signed a one-year, $1.75 million contract with the Chicago Cubs, his fifth team. In 2013, he played in just 89 games and batted .300 with 72 hits.

In December, 2013, Navarro signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. He finished the 2014 season with 132 hits, 22 doubles, 69 RBIs, and a .274 batting average in 139 games.

Navarro spent part of the 2015 season on the DL with a left hamstring strain. He finished the season with 42 hits and a .246 batting average in 54 games. In the postseason, he had just one hit in 13 at-bats in 5 games.

Navarro signed a one-year contract with the Chicago White Sox on December 4, 2015. He returned to the Blue Jays in a trade on August 26, 2016. He finished the 2016 season with 63 hits, 13 doubles, 35 RBIs, and a .207 batting average in 85 games with the White Sox and 16 games with the Blue Jays. Defensively, as a catcher in 90 games, he made 40 assists, 633 putouts, and 9 errors. He had a .987 fielding percentage and he caught players trying to steal 22.8% of the time. In the postseason, he had 2 at-bats in 2 games and he had 2 hits.

Navarro became a free agent on November 3, 2016. He didn't play professional baseball in 2017 and 2018.

Navarro signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians on February 7, 2019. He spent the 2019 season in the minors and on the DL. The Indians released him on September 30, 2019.

Navarro didn't play professional baseball in 2020 and 2021.

Career batting statistics for Navarro through 2018 include:

• 1,009 games played
• 802 hits
• 142 doubles
• 367 RBIs
• 518 strikeouts to 265 walks
• .250 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Navarro as a catcher through 2018 include:

• 891 games played
• 422 assists
• 6,113 putouts
• 67 errors
• .281 caught stealing percentage
• .990 fielding percentage

Personal Life

Navarro married his wife Shirley in September, 2002. They have one son and five pets (two bulldogs, one chameleon, and two birds).

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Dioner Navarro
ESPN - Dioner Navarro