The Marlins brought back catcher Brian Navarreto on a minor league contract, reports Kevin Barral of Fish On First. He had elected minor league free agency after being outrighted off the 40-man roster at the beginning of the offseason.
Navarreto, 31 later this month, is an organizational depth type. He made a two-game big league debut in the shortened season when the Marlins were dealing with a virus outbreak. He got back to the highest level five years later, this time as a September call-up. The Puerto Rico native picked up four hits, including a home run, in eight games while spending the final month of the season on the active roster.
A right-handed hitter, Navarreto owns a .234/.301/.369 batting line over parts of five Triple-A seasons. He has appeared in the Minnesota, Yankees, and Milwaukee systems in addition to his time with Miami. He’s very likely headed back to Triple-A Jacksonville. Navarreto can work behind prospect Joe Mack at the top minor league level.
Mack figures to earn a call-up relatively early next year, which might open some playing time for Navarreto in Triple-A. He’s also an option to compete for the backup job if either Liam Hicks or Agustin Ramirez suffers an injury in Spring Training, assuming the Fish want to keep Mack in the minors to open the year.