per AM1000 - Cubs Sign C Dioner Navarro, NOT Jaime

[CubColtPacer]

A likely .650 OPS from the backup catcher is pretty solid. 1.75 million is somewhat steep for the marginal upgrade he's going to provide, but he's at least a quality player for his role. That's assuming a normal BABIP, which as normal for backup catchers has bounced around wildly for Navarro throughout his career. So he could easily be 100 points over or 100 points under that projection largely because of sample size.

[haubrich91]

There has to be some sort of incentives for this. It can't be fully guaranteed can it?

[Fro]

Couldn't we actually sign someone who's assured to help the team between Baker & Navarro's money? (a little over $7 million)

[ManCrushOnNomar]

And we have an early favorite for the 2013 Joe Mather Award for worst WAR among Cubs position players.

 

This would be like calling the Cy Young award the R.A. Dickey Award just because he won it the previous season. I don't know how far back you should go, but let's at least call it the Aaron Miles Award.

It's the Neifi! Award.

 

Strangely enough (largely because of mediocre, not bad defense), Neifi was never even close to the worst WAR on the team during his 3 season tenure with the Cubs. In fact, he had positive WAR in all 3 seasons.

Did it make you feel bad inside to type something complimentary of Neifi? Because it did reading it.

[Guest]

Couldn't we actually sign someone who's assured to help the team between Baker & Navarro's money? (a little over $7 million)

 

Baker was a really good signing.

[fiver]

Couldn't we actually sign someone who's assured to help the team between Baker & Navarro's money? (a little over $7 million)

 

...not if we want a top 3 draft pick in 2014.

[Gilby]

1.75 is more than I would have thought, but let's not pretend like that little amount actually affects the Cubs. He's not good, but for a backup catcher he has the potential to be, maybe, decent. We have to find out what Castillo can do as an everyday catcher anyways.

 

In the end, much like the Reed Johnson deal that actually turned out wonderfully, this matters very little.

[Guest]

FWIW, he was "worth" about that last year. It's just that I'd rather put a league minimum guy in that role.

 

 

I suppose they know better than I the value of a veteran in that role and the difference between 1.7M and min salary is fairly insignificant to this team.

[SouthSideRyan]

Well this is just silly

[THISisTHEyear09]

Do NOT like this at all. How much better can he be then Clevenger?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

FWIW, he was "worth" about that last year. It's just that I'd rather put a league minimum guy in that role.

 

 

I suppose they know better than I the value of a veteran in that role and the difference between 1.7M and min salary is fairly insignificant to this team.

 

As you imply, the whole WAR/$ thing has gotten out of control.

 

Just because the FA market averages $6 million per win doesn't mean every half-WAR player should cost you over a million. It's not linear.

[Guest]

I don't really know why we'd be at all concerned over a difference of 1 million dollars on a 1 year deal. He's likely an improvement over Clevenger, and as far as backup catchers go he's had a decent bat for his career. The current FO has had plenty of time to see how he handles things defensively with all the time he spent in Tampa as well.

[Guest]

I don't really know why we'd be at all concerned over a difference of 1 million dollars on a 1 year deal. He's likely an improvement over Clevenger, and as far as backup catchers go he's had a decent bat for his career. The current FO has had plenty of time to see how he handles things defensively with all the time he spent in Tampa as well.

 

I'm not concerned. Just annoyed. Less so than before.

[Tracer Bullet]

I think we have no choice but to stop being Cubs fans and forever quit posting on this board bc of this signing.

[davell]

Gerald Laird got 2 years from the Braves today, money unknown yet. The other options were Shoppach, Torrealba, Barajas, Olivo, Blanco, and Snyder. Shoppach likely gets multiple years and Navarro is younger and better than the rest. They paid up for the possible upside, if Castillo doesn't work out. I see nothing wrong with it at all, the more I look at it.

[XZero771679666304]

Do NOT like this at all. How much better can he be then Clevenger?

 

It was a fairly small sample size, but Clevenger was abysmal last year, he started off hot but it was a precipitous downhill ride after that. I'm not thrilled with the money (though it's a trivial amount), but I don't think Clevenger could have been counted on to provide anything, let alone motivation for Castillo to protect his job.

 

I was pleasantly surprised by Clevenger's start last year, but by the end he looked about as bad as one could possibly look.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Hopefully the plan is to flip him for 2005 Randy Johnson.

[THISisTHEyear09]

Do NOT like this at all. How much better can he be then Clevenger?

 

It was a fairly small sample size, but Clevenger was abysmal last year, he started off hot but it was a precipitous downhill ride after that. I'm not thrilled with the money (though it's a trivial amount), but I don't think Clevenger could have been counted on to provide anything, let alone motivation for Castillo to protect his job.

 

I was pleasantly surprised by Clevenger's start last year, but by the end he looked about as bad as one could possibly look.

 

I have to admit I watched probably 10 games after August 1st and didnt look at the final stats until now. I didnt realize that Clevenger dropped off that bad. Still I don't really see why we needed Dioner Navarro

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Do NOT like this at all. How much better can he be then Clevenger?

 

It was a fairly small sample size, but Clevenger was abysmal last year, he started off hot but it was a precipitous downhill ride after that. I'm not thrilled with the money (though it's a trivial amount), but I don't think Clevenger could have been counted on to provide anything, let alone motivation for Castillo to protect his job.

 

I was pleasantly surprised by Clevenger's start last year, but by the end he looked about as bad as one could possibly look.

 

I have to admit I watched probably 10 games after August 1st and didnt look at the final stats until now. I didnt realize that Clevenger dropped off that bad. Still I don't really see why we needed Dioner Navarro

because he's a lot better than Clevenger...

[XZero771679666304]

Do NOT like this at all. How much better can he be then Clevenger?

 

It was a fairly small sample size, but Clevenger was abysmal last year, he started off hot but it was a precipitous downhill ride after that. I'm not thrilled with the money (though it's a trivial amount), but I don't think Clevenger could have been counted on to provide anything, let alone motivation for Castillo to protect his job.

 

I was pleasantly surprised by Clevenger's start last year, but by the end he looked about as bad as one could possibly look.

 

I have to admit I watched probably 10 games after August 1st and didnt look at the final stats until now. I didnt realize that Clevenger dropped off that bad. Still I don't really see why we needed Dioner Navarro

because he's a lot better than Clevenger...

 

Part of it could also be that they want a vet to work with Castillo (who needs a bit of work on the defensive side).

[jersey cubs fan]

Gerald Laird got 2 years from the Braves today, money unknown yet. The other options were Shoppach, Torrealba, Barajas, Olivo, Blanco, and Snyder. Shoppach likely gets multiple years and Navarro is younger and better than the rest. They paid up for the possible upside, if Castillo doesn't work out. I see nothing wrong with it at all, the more I look at it.

 

Those were the "other options" only if you insisted on wasting a roster spot on a proven veteran backup catcher.

[Guest]

Clevenger OPSed .450 in nearly 200 PAs after he came off the DL. If you're going to break in Castillo, I'm having a hard time understanding why getting some certainty from the backup position for < 2 million is such a bad thing.

[davell]

Gerald Laird got 2 years from the Braves today, money unknown yet. The other options were Shoppach, Torrealba, Barajas, Olivo, Blanco, and Snyder. Shoppach likely gets multiple years and Navarro is younger and better than the rest. They paid up for the possible upside, if Castillo doesn't work out. I see nothing wrong with it at all, the more I look at it.

 

Those were the "other options" only if you insisted on wasting a roster spot on a proven veteran backup catcher.

It's an upgrade from Clevenger, who'll be derostered now, in all likelihood. Unless you wanted Castillo to play 162, you need a backup.

[jersey cubs fan]

Clevenger OPSed .450 in nearly 200 PAs after he came off the DL. If you're going to break in Castillo, I'm having a hard time understanding why getting some certainty from the backup position for < 2 million is such a bad thing.

 

It's not so much a bad thing as it's a worthless thing to get "certainty" in the form of poor performance.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I'm not mad, but I'm not convinced it's an upgrade over Clevenger either.